Local thunderstorm causes flooding

About an hour of rain yesterday triggered floods yet again in downtown Cebu City – a prevailing problem in the urban areas especially after a downpour.

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) attributed the downpour to a local thunderstorm that developed over the horizon in northern Cebu and crossed the city moving south.

Vhan Singson, a weather specialist of Visayas PAGASA Regional Services Division, said other areas affected were cities of Naga, Talisay, Danao, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu, and the towns of Minglanilla, Balamban, Compostela, Liloan, Consolacion, and Cordova.

She said the Low Pressure Area hovering in the eastern part of Philippine waters had no effect on the atmospheric conditions here as the thunderstorms only developed in the local area. Thunderstorms commonly bring moderate to heavy rains that may induce natural hazards such as landslide and flooding.

The local PAGASA station also recorded 4 millimeters of rainfall from the 28-minute long downpour late morning yesterday. The accumulated amount is typically based on the Lapu-Lapu-mounted rain gauge.

Singson said a 4-millimeter rain amount is equivalent to 20,000 drums of water per 1 square kilometer.

As compared with Lapu-Lapu, she said rains dumped in Cebu City may be larger in amount since it could have lasted beyond 28 minutes until an hour.

Singson said rains also occurred in the upland barangays of the city that may have flowed to the downtown area causing floods.

Moreover, she explained that the downtown area is crowded with concrete and pavement and so no rainwater can infiltrate underground.

Another factor causing the flooding could be unmaintained sewerage systems and clogged-up drainage, she said.

Meanwhile, Cebu City Transportation Office head (CCTO) Francisco “Isko’’ Ouano identified the heaviest-hit areas yesterday as MJ Cuenco Avenue, Manalili Street, Colon Street, Fuente Osmeña, Nasipit in Talamban, Basak Bontores, and some of areas in the North Reclamation Area.

Nigel Bañacia, chief of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said the main problem remains to be the improper disposal of garbage that causes heavy flooding. He said to address this issue the city government already widened some drainage systems in flood-prone areas in the city.

However, he said citizen also have the responsibility to properly dispose of their garbage. The government and people need to cooperate if they want to solve this problem, he added.

“Bisag atong tan-awon every time nga mouwan manglutaw g’yud ang basura, kay atong uban ka igsuonan di nila tarungon paglabay ang ilang mga basura, ang uban ibutang sa kanal,’’ Bañacia said.

For Cebu City councilors Joel Garganera and Raymond Alvin Garcia, Mayor Tomas Osmeña still cannot solve the city’s problem on flood, garbage, and traffic.

Garcia said Osmeña has not done anything to solve this problem in his 30 years of being mayor of the city.

“If he is a true visionary, then he should have solved our problem of baha, traffic, and basura. Wala g’yud intawn siyay nabuhat ani nga problema,” Garcia added.

Garganera called these problem “Jurassic problems’’ because they have been around for a long time.

“These are Jurassic problems, then he is trying to make it appear nga highlyurbanized, state-of-the-art ang siyudad, unya you cannot even address these issues,” Garganera said.

He added if the mayor doesn’t have political will to restore the waterways of the city he can never solve flooding and the other problems the city faces.

— May B. Miasco and Carl James T. Cabarles, USJ-R intern/BRP