Houses damaged as floods, big waves batter Jolo
It’s more on sea swell, houses along coastal areas were damaged
Several houses were submerged as floods and big waves caused by inclement weather hit different parts of Sulu from Sunday night until early Monday.
Reports from different government agencies indicated that floods and big waves battered parts of Jolo, Patikul and Parang, while an incident of soil erosion was recorded in Talipao.
Floods rose two to three feet in parts of Jolo, inundating houses and establishments, including those in Barangay Asturias and Barangay Walled City, according to the Bureau of Fire Protection.
Some houses in the villages of Busbus and Takut-Takut were reported to have collapsed after big waves battered the coast, forcing residents to evacuate.
“It’s more on sea swell, houses along coastal areas were damaged,” Julkipli Ajihon, head of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), said.
Big waves also hit the coastal area of Barangay Nunukan in Parang, damaging 12 houses. In Talipao, heavy rains caused a big part of the soil and riprap supporting the bridge in Barangay Bandang to collapse, the local disaster unit said.
No casualties have been reported so far, Ajihon said, although the PDRRMO was still waiting for official reports on how many residents were affected.
Initial reports from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) indicated approximately 200 families were evacuated from seven coastal and low-lying villages in Jolo —Asturias, Tulay, Hadji Butu, Chinese Pier, Serrantes, Takut-Takut and Alat.
Heavy downpour caused rising floodwater at about 11:30 p.m. on Sunday, according to the PCG, whose personnel scoured all houses in affected residential areas to ensure no family was left behind.