Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Zoraida brings weaker winds but causes flooding

DAVCOMVAL, Nov. 12 (PIA)—Tropical Depression Zoraida brought only light winds as it made a landfall in the Municipality of Caraga in Davao Oriental at about 11:00 a.m. (Nov. 12) but it caused swelling of rivers in the provinces of Davao Oriental, Davao del Norte and in Compostela Valley due to light to heavy sporadic rains since yesterday until this morning (Nov. 12).

In a phone interview at 11:40 a.m. (Nov. 12) 67th Infantry Battalion commander Lt. Col. Krishna Mortela based in the Municipality of Baganga, said he was in barangay Baculin at the boundary of Caraga and Baganga but he felt no unusual strength of wind, nor heavy rains.

Standing by the shoreline of Baculin, Mortela saw the sun shining but facing the upland horizon, he still saw dark clouds.

Mortela said heavy rains was experienced only from 2:00 a.m. until about 4:00 a.m. today when he made early rounds in Davao Oriental east coast towns particularly in Caraga.

He, however, reported of swelling rivers which included the Caraga and Baganga rivers which at that time were not yet overflowing.

“We have deployed troops to closely monitor the rivers,” he said.

An hour after the landfall of Zoraida, Davao Provincial Information Office reported that Provincial Gov. Corazon Malanyaon ordered the close monitoring of areas near rivers for possible flooding and of shorelines for storm surges.
She also expressed particular concern over Baogo in Baganga considered as an area with low elevation , vulnerable to flooding.

Members of Water Search and Rescue team were on standby in rivers which water levels posed possibility of flooding.
Davao Oriental PDRRMO reported that 947 families were evacuated to higher and safer grounds in the east coast towns of Boston, Cateel, Caraga, and Manay.

On the other hand, overflowing of rivers and flooding were experienced in some areas in Compostela Valley Province which the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administratiobn (PAGASA) declared late at 11:00 a.m. November 11 as among the provinces under Public Storm Warning Signal No. 1.

Reports of Comval Provincial Police Office as of 12:30 today (Nov. 12)revealed overflowing of rivers in the municipalities of Compostela, Laak, Maco, Montevista, and in New Bataan.

It also monitored flooding in barangays Pindasan & Cadunan in the Municipality of Mabini; barangays Basak, Magsaysay, Sta Maria, Bukal and New Sibonga in the Municipalityof Nabunturan; and Brgy. Kingking in Pantukan.

A Landslide incident in Purok 17 in Barangay Mt. Diwata in the Municipality of MOnkayo was also monitored while there were also impassable roads in the towns of New Bataan and Mabini.

Compostela Valley Police Provincial Office reported 669 families evacuated as of 12:30 p.m., today (Nov. 12), in the municipalities of Nabunturan, Monkayo, New Bataan, Mabini.

The same situation was experienced in Davao del Norte where flooding occurred in some areas in the municipalities of New Corella, Sto. Tomas, and Carmen.

Sto. Tomas Mayor Benigno Andamon recommended to the Sangguniang Panlungsod the declaration of state of calamity as nine barangays were affected by flooding specifically Kasig-ang, Talomo, Esperanza, Kinamayan, San Miguel, Poblacion and San Jose.

The PDRRMC of Davao del Norte as of 3:00 p.m. (Nov. 12) recorded 209 families evacuated in the municipalities of Sto. Tomas, Asuncion, New Corella and in the city of Tagum.

Roads in Sitio Causwagan and in Matin-ao in New Corella; Kinamayan in Sto. Tomas, Sagayen in Asuncion and New Camiling in Carmen were impassable.

In an interview with the media, Davao del Norte Provincial Gov. Rodolfo P. Del Rosario said he had received no request for assistance from city and municipal LGUs not even from Sto. Tomas declared under state of calamity. (PIA 11/ Jeanevive D. Abangan)

No comments:

Post a Comment