Odette’s tail-end winds spawn 12-foot waves, destroying 17 houses in Zamboanga City

Zamboanga City (Image from Google Maps)

ZAMBOANGA CITY, Zamboanga del Sur, Philippines — Waves as high as 12 feet (3.66 meters) pummeled this city’s west coast and destroyed the homes of over a dozen families on Friday night, according to Elmeir Apolinario, an officer of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.

Apolinario said that 17 families lost their homes due to big waves.

The totally damaged houses are located in Purok 2 and Purok 3 in Barangay Labuan.

“Huge waves smashed their houses, especially along the shorelines. The waves were as high as 12 feet,” Apolinario said.

Residents were getting ready to sleep at 8 p.m. when they heard water roaring from the shorelines and it started growing high.

They immediately evacuated to higher ground.

Apolinario said the affected residents were temporarily staying at the covered court of Barangay Labuan.

ATM