Makilala quake victims experience ‘hailstorm’ during heavy rains
KIDAPAWAN CITY – After the series of earthquakes that hit Mindanao in recent weeks, residents being housed in evacuation centers in Makilala, Cotabato had to deal with hailstorm and heavy rains on Monday.
A netizen named Nescy Jazmin posted images of small ice balls or hailstones that pelted their tents at the evacuation sites at around 3:30 p.m. on Monday.
Facebook user Ra Zel Epulac also posted photos of makeshift tents in the evacuation sites destroyed and other tents thrown several meters away. She said some of their belongings were also carried by the strong winds.
Kaye Llenado, also a Facebook user, said their blankets and clothes were soaked in rain water.
The netizens said the rains did not spare the old, elderly, and the sick in the evacuation sites.
In its website, state weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) defines hail as ice formed from a severe thunderstorm.
”Nabubuo ang hail kapag masyadong mainit ang isang lugar na magdudulot ng pagtaas ng mga water vapor na maaring lumagpas sa tinatawag na freezing level kung saan ang mga water vapor ay pwedeng magfreeze at maging isang yelo,” PAGASA said.
”Kapag marami nang yelo na sa itaas ng isang thunderstorm clouds ito ay bumabagsak sa lupa bilang isang hail. Ang hail ay bumabagsak sa bilis na mahigit 100kph,” it added.
Meanwhile, another moderately strong earthquake struck North Cotabato province yesterday morning.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) traced the origin of the 3.0-magnitude earthquake nine kilometers (km) southwest of Makilala town near the epicenter of the 6.3-magnitude quake last October 16, 2019 in Tulunan town. The new tremor occurred at 7:39 a.m. with a shallow depth of 2 km. A few minutes later at about 8:11, another 3.1 magnitude quake was registered 19 km southeast of Tulunan town, with a depth of 18 km, Phivolcs said in its latest bulletin. (With a report from Mike U. Crismundo)