Nonstop rains trigger floods in parts of Eastern Visayas, Bicol
TACLOBAN CITY—Massive flooding affected several areas in Eastern Visayas and Sorsogon in the Bicol region due to nonstop rains since Feb. 9 that were spawned by a shear line.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council placed the provinces of Eastern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Northern Samar, and Leyte under a red alert category due to heavy rainfall that could trigger floods and landslides.
The bad weather prompted the suspension of classes at all levels in both public and private schools on Monday in a number of localities.
These were Tacloban City and the towns of Palo, San Miguel, Babatngon, Burauen and Abuyog in Leyte; Northern Samar (entire province); Kawayan, Cabucgayan, Caibiran and Naval towns in Biliran; Basey, Santa Margarita, Daram and Pagsanghan towns as well as Catbalogan City in Samar; and Dolores, Can-avid, and Jipapad towns in Eastern Samar.
In Leyte’s Mayorga town, the local disaster risk reduction and management office evacuated a still undetermined number of families from their flooded homes.
The flood also did not spare the relocation enclave in northern Tacloban City for families affected by Super Typhoon ‘’Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) in 2013, officials said.
Landslide
In Leyte’s La Paz town, four people, including a baby, survived by running out in time when their house in Barangay Bocawon collapsed due to a landslide at around 10 a.m. on Monday.
The displaced family has taken shelter with relatives in the nearby village of Mag-aso, said Bocawan village chief Jerry Pamat in an interview.
Aside from La Paz, also affected by the floods on Monday were the towns of Arteche, Can-avid, Balangkayan, Maslog and Jipapad in Eastern Samar; and San Roque and Catarman towns in Northern Samar. These localities have yet to report any mass evacuations.
The Department of Public Works and Highways reported that some roads were not passable due to severe flooding. Among them were the Catarman-Laoang Road in Northern Samar; the Arteche-Jipapad (Eastern Samar side)-Las Navas-Rawis Road (Northern Samar); and a road in Barangay Liberty, Mayorga town, Leyte.
The Philippine Coast Guard in Northern Samar and Biliran suspended sea voyages to prevent maritime incidents amid rough seas caused by the bad weather.
Sorsogon’s woes
In Sorsogon, heavy rains since Sunday night triggered landslides and flooded some towns, prompting the affected local governments to suspend classes on Monday.
In Sorsogon’s Santa Magdalena town, a landslide struck the Ubak quarry site in Barangay San Rafael at around 5 a.m., causing travel disruptions as mud covered the road.
According to George Furton, the municipal public information officer of Santa Magdalena, the road remained impassable as of Monday afternoon as authorities were yet to conduct clearing operations due to the continuous movement of soil from the site.
In Bulan town, a river overflowed and submerged the road in Barangay Taromata in 2 feet of flood, making it impassable to motorists.
A number of motorists were also stranded in the village of Ponong in Casiguran town due to a flooded road.
Evacuation
Authorities also began evacuating affected residents in Barangay Colambis, also in Casiguran, due to rising floodwater.
Flooding also hit the nearby Juban town, affecting the villages of Bacolod, Cogon, Calateo, Tughan, Lajong, Catanagan and Biriran, said the local government.
Classes at all levels in all public and private schools remain suspended in Sorsogon’s towns of Santa Magdalena, Bulan, Casiguran, Juban, Gubat, Castilla, Barcelona, Pilar, Magallanes and Donsol, and Sorsogon City.
An orange rainfall warning remained in place in the provinces of Sorsogon, Albay, Catanduanes and Northern Samar, according to the 3 p.m. bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration Southern Luzon.
The heavy rains in Eastern Visayas and Bicol were caused by a shear line which occurs when cold fronts interact with easterly trades. Shear lines can cause long periods of rain which can lead to flooding and landslides. The rains can be light, but they can also be heavy or intense which last for about four days.
