Floods displace 282 families in 12 villages in Catarman, Northern Samar

TACLOBAN CITY — Floods have displaced 282 families or 1,280 individuals in 12 barangays in Catarman, Northern Samar due to heavy rains spawned by Tropical Depression “Usman.”

The families have been staying in the town’s auditorium after floods hit Barangay Yakal, Narra, Ipil-ipil, Bangkerohan, Dalakit, Talisay, Baybay, Molave, Macagtas, Abad Santos, Casoy, and Mabolo.

Emeral Guevarra said only nine out of 55 barangays in the town were not affected by the worst flooding to hit Catarman in recent years.

Landslides were also reported in Barangay Macagtas, Sitio Tabor of UEP (University of Eastern Philippines) 3 and Sitio Tabor of UEP 1 and Purok 7 of Barangay Doña Polqueria.

Senior Insp. Ronnie Abendan, Lope de Vega police chief, said he and his men were trapped inside the police station in Barangay Poblacion.

“Our mess hall, which we used as our kitchen, was destroyed due to the flood. Some of our office equipment like our filing cabinet were also damaged,” he said, adding that floodwater has yet to subside in the area.

Abendan said they received information that some persons were missing, but they could not provide details as of posting time.

Highest water level recorded in 20 years

Usman dumped 300 millimeters of rain in Catarman, the highest water level recorded by the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) in the province in 20 years.

Feleon Corona, Pagasa Northern Samar manager, said the highest rainfall measured in Catarman was in 1988 at 485 mm.

“That was 24 hours of torrential rains, where almost the whole Northern Samar province was engulfed in floodwaters. But there was no typhoon that time,” she said.

The 300 mm rainfall recorded on Friday was within 10 hours of raining, Corona said.

Other parts of Northern Samar

The tropical depression also affected 9,626 families or 41,838 individuals in Leyte, Biliran, Samar, Eastern Samar, and other parts of Northern Samar.

Some 329 families or 2,173 individuals were displaced in Samar; 698 families or 3,083 individuals in Eastern Samar; 17 families or 74 in Leyte; and 58 families or 274 people in Biliran.

In Catubig town, floods displaced 8,441 families or 35,708 individuals.

Floods also hit Lope de Vega town in Northern Samar where the water level reached as high as 10 meters in some areas. Of the town’s 22 barangays, 18 experienced floods, affecting about 100 families or 660 persons.

The Philippine Coast Guard allowed vessels to depart for Luzon around 10 a.m. on Saturday, to the delight of the 2,262 passengers who had been stranded since Thursday.

READ: Coast Guard allows ships to sail after ‘Usman’ weakens

Due to the strong winds and heavy rains dumped by Usman, Northern Samar has experienced power outage since 6 p.m. Friday, Bambie Capulong, information officer of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), said.

Power has not been restored in the affected areas. /ee