Move out of shorelines, Cebuanos urged

As tropical depression Zorayda exits southern Cebu, the Cebu provincial government urged people living near the shorelines and landslide-prone areas to evacuate.

“While Zorayda doesn’t bring strong winds, her level of rainfall is quite high. We should not be complacent,” said Neil Sanchez, Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CPDRRMC) chief.

He said Zorayda, like any other tropical depression, brings storm surges which killed several people in Tacloban City during the height of super typhoon Yolanda.

“We have the same preparations as far as typhoons are concerned. We have been disseminating advisories to all localities in the province every two hours. We’re coordinating with the police and the local government units,” he said.

Since Zorayda caused moderate to heayv rains, Sanchez it would not be safe for people to stay near coastal areas. “They need to evacuate. There are also possibilities of landslides so they have to temporarily leave the area,” he said.

So far, he said the CPDRRMC hasn’t received any report of people from the south Cebu who evacuated from their respective places.