Heavy rains force families to flee

Evacuation took place in the northeastern town of Tuburan after Cebu was placed under Yellow Alert Level last Thursday Some 85 mm of rain fell in Cebu on Thursday; the average rainfall for the whole of December is 154.4 mm More rain is in the forecast f

Around 1,750 persons were evacuated after heavy rains caused flooding and landslides in some towns in northeastern Cebu last Thursday, Dec. 20.

Some 350 families in Barangays VI, VIII (Sitio Languyon) and Mangga in Tuburan were forced to temporarily stay at the Cebu Technological University and the Mangga Elementary School.

Last Thursday, the weather bureau Pagasa placed Cebu under Yellow Warning Level (7.5-15 millimeters (mm)/hour of rain) due to a Low Pressure Area (LPA) 955 kilometers east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur.

In the latest update, Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (PDRRMO) Officer Baltazar Tribunalo said the evacuees in Tuburan were allowed to return home after the distribution of relief goods on Friday, Dec. 21. The evacuees were given rice, water, canned goods and noodles by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office.

“Karon, nihinay-hinay na, tanan ningbalik na. After sa distribution of relief goods, mga lunch time around 1 p.m., gipapauli na sila (They were told to go home around 1 p.m.).” he said.

Heavy rains also caused flooding in Asturias and in Barangays Poblacion and Aliwanay in Balamban. However, there was no need to evacuate residents, Tribunalo said.

According to PDRRMO Information Officer Jules Regner, a minor landslide made a road in Barangay Sunog, Balamban temporarily impassable.

“Nobody knows what time the landslide happened. Tribunalo just chanced upon the clearing operation this morning,” Regner said in Cebuano.

No casualty was reported. “As of 2 p.m., the road was cleared and the vehicles could pass,” he added in Cebuano.

As Cebu is still under the Yellow Warning Level, PDRRMO asked the public to remain alert and to coordinate with their respective Barangay Disaster Risk

Pagasa announced that Saturday, Dec. 22, is winter solstice in the Philippines.

Winter solstice is an astronomical phenomenon marking the day with the shortest period of daylight and the longest night of the year.

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Reduction Management Committees and Municipality or City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Offices.

“Kung pananglitan mubalik og uwan-uwan, we advise them nga mu-abide g’yod sa directives sa LGU (local government unit) or bisan sa ilang barangay kay automatic man nga mupaevacuate (If the rain returns, we advise them to heed the directives of their LGU or even their barangay since evacuation is automatic in some cases),” Tribunalo said.

Meanwhile, Alfredo Quiblat Jr., Pagasa Visayas acting weather chief, said the amount of rain that fell in Cebu last Thursday exceeded the normal rainfall measurement this month.

Based on data collected by the Pagasa Mactan Station, rain of up to 85 mm, or 425,000 drums of water, fell in Cebu that day, flooding some parts of the cities of Mandaue and Cebu. The normal rainfall measurement in Cebu for the whole month of December is 154.4 mm, he said.

The rain didn’t subside until Thursday night, he added.

Quiblat said rain is in the forecast for the weekend and it is expected to last until Tuesday, Dec. 25.

Meanwhile, Quiblat announced that on Saturday, Dec. 22, the country will experience winter solstice, or the shortest day of the year.