Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama ordered the suspension of classes yesterday afternoon, sending elementary and high school students home early before a heavy downpour hit the city.
Oscar Tabada, Mactan chief of the state weather bureau Pagasa, said moderate to heavy rains was expected in Cebu City and the rest of Metro Cebu between 3 to 5 p.m. due to a low pressure area affecting Eastern Samar.
“The rain diameter is big,” he told the mayor over the phone.
Rama called the weather forecaster at noon for advice.
Last Thursday’s two-hour downpour submerged many parts of the city in knee to waist-deep water and tied up traffic before the water receded a few hours after.
At least seven landslides were also reported in the mountain barangays of Sapangdaku, Tagbao, Babag and Sudlon 2, blocking roads with soil and rocks.
Easement
Yesterday’s landslide at 12:22 p.m in sitio Lanipaw, barangay Sapangdaku covered part of the road.
Councilor Dave Tumulak said barangays disaster brigardes were alerted at 6 a.m. and asked to monitor the rise of water level along the Kinalumsan River in the south and the Mahiga Creek in the north.
Pagasa pegged last month’s rainfall volume at 262. mm, higher than July’s 246 millimeters.
Pagasa weather specialist Evangeline Tolentino said last month’s rainfall is way higher than the normal rainfall volume of 143.5 mm based on a 30-year study by the World Meteorological Organization.
“The month of August had a lot of cumulo-nimbus clouds formation and as well as a low pressure areas (LPAs) that brought more rains in the country,” she said.
Pagasa Mactan recorded 3.3 mm of rainfall as of 2 p.m. yesterday, the first day of September.
Tolentino said the normal volume of rainfall for September in Cebu is 179.6 millimeters.
Submerged
In barangay Bankal, Lapu-Lapu City, several homes in Camella Homes Subdivision Phase 3 remain submerged in floodwater after last Thursday’s rain.
“We have not slept well since then, because it continued raining and we fear that the water will go up again,” said Chona Ada who has two children.
Re-booking
Joey Sison, Camella Homes General Manager in Cebu, said the flooding was isolated. He said their drainage system was built in 2011.
“Our technical team is also closely monitoring the situation to avoid similar problems as our primary concern remains the safety of our homeowners and its community,” he said.
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