Incessant rain displaces 144 families
Incessant rains and strong winds in the city spawned by low pressure area from Sunday until Monday wrecked 93 houses in 5 barangays and consequently displaced 144 families.
On instructions of Mayor Celso Lobregat, the City Social Welfare Office under Francisco Barredo immediately provided relief assistance to the affected families with a total of 608 dependents.
Hardest hit barangays were San Roque where 16 houses were affected with 23 families and 54 dependents; Maasin—48 houses with 92 families and 460 dependents; San Jose Gusu—13 houses with 13 families and 41 dependents; Ayala—13 houses with 13 families and 53 dependents and Campo Islam—3 houses with 3 families.
Of the total 93 houses affected—3 houses were washed out —one was totally wrecked by rampaging waters in the San Roque river while 3 were battered by huge waves caused by strong winds along the shorelines of Campo Islam.
As of press time, the City Disaster Coordinating Council (CDCC) created action center in City Hall records show that only 16 families—13 from San Jose Gusu and 3 from Campo Islam remain in evacuation centers which are the San Jose Gusu Elementary School and the Campo Islam barangay hall, respectively.
The other affected families have already returned to their residences, as water has receded.
In San Roque, the houses were destroyed due to flooding while in Maasin, soil erosion and huge waves along the shorelines caused the displacement of the families. Of the 13 families affected in Ayala—7 were residing in the shoreline while 7 were staying along riverbanks. In Campo Islam—huge waves caused by strong winds displaced the families.
City Administrator Antonio Orendain Jr., CDCC action officer has advised residents along river banks and low lying areas to remain vigilant and to use their own discretion if they sense danger brought about by unstable weather condition. (Sheila Covarrubias)