Hundreds of families evacuated to safer grounds on Camotes Island

CEBU CITY—Hundreds of families have been evacuated to safer grounds in Poro town on Camotes Islands in Cebu early evening of Christmas Eve in preparation for the onslaught of Typhoon Ursula.

The Camotes Group of Islands is among the areas in northern Cebu that had been placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 3 due to Ursula.

According to the data from the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office as of 7 p.m., a total of 151 people were housed either in public schools or barangay halls.

The evacuees come from six coastal barangays in Poro covered under a preemptive evacuation.

On Bantayan Island, 28 fishermen from Bogo City in mainland Cebu were prevented from sailing and were instead told to stay inside the Sports Complex on the island’s Bantayan town.

More than 200 passengers were also stranded at the various ports in Tabuelan town, Bogo City, Danao City and  San Remegio town. They temporarily stayed either inside sports complex or government buildings.

The PDRRMO also reported that blackout hit the entire Olango Island in Lapu-Lapu City as of 7 p.m.