Auring in Cebu: Heavy rains bring floods as rivers swell, causing damage

Damaged road of brgy Carmen Toledo City after heavy raing brought by tropical depression Auring. (CDN PHOTO/TONEE DESPOJO)

Yesterday’s continuous heavy rains resulted to the swelling of rivers and flooding in different parts of Cebu.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pag-asa) said the amount of rainfall recorded yesterday was 64 millimeters. The heaviest rainfall was at 10:10 a.m.

In Consolacion town, the Pitogo man-made creek and the Cansaga river overflowed and at least 20 families from Barangays Pitogo and Cansaga were temporarily evacuated at the covered court complex and at Consolacion National High School.

Consolacion Mayor Teresa Alegado said classes in public schools were suspended yesterday afternoon.
“Nagsugat na ang tubig sa sapa ug baha maong nisaka ang tubig (Water from the creek and flood waters contributed to the swelling of the river),” Alegado said.

Consolacion Local Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (LDRRMO) head Danilo Capampangan said, “Nataymingan taob ang dagat ug nagsige og ulan-ulan maong nisaka ang tubig. Nag-abot na man ang baha ug tubig sa sapa (It was high tide when it was raining that is why the water overflowed),” he said.

Mandaue City

In Mandaue City, the 6.5 Socialized Housing area in Paknaan experienced severe flooding yesterday. Mayor Luigi Quisumbing ordered residents in the area to evacuate to the 6.5 Multipurpose Hall.

Last Monday evening, the Butuanon river overflowed and flooded nearby houses.
“Around 14 to 20 houses were affected. Nibaha sa kabalayan (The houses were flooded) with about two to three feet of water from the elevation of their flooring, said LDRRMO chief Felix Suico Jr.

He said residents refused to evacuate.

“But should the river rise further, we will force them to evacuate,” Suico said.
Rodrigo Aniga, a resident of 6.5 relocation site, said his house was flooded on Monday and he had to clean up the mud brought by the floodwaters.

The next day, his house was flooded again.

He was dismayed by the delay of the construction of a riprap to protect them from landslides brought about by the swelling of the Butuanon river.

A fiber glass boat is now on standby in the area.
Classes in the elementary and high school levels were likewise canceled because of the downpour.

Forecast

Pag-asa weather specialist Alice Canasa, said the rains will still continue because of the low pressure area (LPA ) and northeast monsoon, although it would not be as heavy as yesterday’s downpour.

Tropical Depression “Auring” may have fizzled to a Low Pressure Area (LPA), but the weather bureau forecast overcast skies, with light rain showers tomorrow and Friday.

Canasa said they are monitoring a cloud formation outside PAR which might develop into a low pressure area.

Meanwhile, the Cebu provincial police stations were directly ordered to also monitor the weather in their respective areas of responsibility.

Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) acting director Senior Supt. Eric Noble said, “Every three hours may situation report sila. May coordination na sila sa local disaster offices, hindi lang yung tao nila ang imo-monitor pati yung tubig para masabihan yung tao (They are already coordinating with the local disaster offices).”.

Toledo City

The floods in Toledo City last Monday were in part caused by clogged drainage systems.

According to Epitacio Cristuta, school principal of the North Central School in Barangay Luray 1, the clogged drainage in the school brought about by filling materials from a nearby construction project caused flooding in classrooms.

Chest-deep flood waters submerged Sitio Kalubihan, Barangay Sangi. At least 89 residents were evacuated to the Sangi Elementary School, at the barangay hall and the covered court. Others opted to stay with relatives.

According to Neil Nemenso, while flooding was not unusual in the area, Monday’s flood was unusually deep.

Barangay Sangi Councilor Marcelo Masayon Jr. said the waters came from nearby mountains, aggravated by the clogged drainage full of trash.

Of the seven sitios in Barangay Sangi, four were greatly damaged by the floods – Kalubian, Purok Tisa, Caimito and Nangka.

In nearby Barangay Carmen, a big chunk of the access road leading to Barangay Kapitan Claudio was washed away by overflowing waters from a nearby creek and left the road with ankle-deep floods.

Carmen resident Roel Sepada said this was the second time the village was flooded in a span of two months and the road washed away.

While the rains abated in the city yesterday, flood waters started to subside. Affected residents are now trying to recover from their losses.
The Toledo City Social Welfare Management Office will start distributing relief packs today to the storm victims.

Landslides

Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB-7) identified 789 barangays in Central Visayas as highly susceptible to landslides and flooding.

In Cebu, these barangays came from the towns and cities of Alcantara, Alegria, Aloguinsan, Argao, Asturias, Badian, Balamban, Barili, Bogo City, Boljoon, Carcar, Carmen, Cebu City, Compostela, Consolacion, Daanbantayan, Dalaguete, Danao City, Dumanjug, Ginatilan, Liloan, Malabuyoc, Mandaue City, Medellin, Moalboal, Oslob, Pinamungahan, Poro, Ronda, Samboan, San Francisco, Sibonga, Sogod, Tabuelan, Toledo City, Tuburan, and Tudela.

Al Emil Berador, chief geologist at MGB-7, appealed to the public to monitor weather updates from Pagasa.
“The continuous rains will trigger possible landslides and flooding in low-lying areas,” he said..
“Preemptive evacuation is highly encouraged to save lives and properties,” Berador said.With Rene F. Alima, Dominic D. Yasay and Norman V. Mendoza