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LIGAO CITY––Thirty-two families or 142 individuals had to evacuate from their homes in Albay, Masbate, and Sorsogon provinces as Tropical Depression “Agaton” continued to bring rains to the Bicol region.
The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) Bicol reported at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday that Agaton caused flooding in four areas in Legazpi City in Albay and Libmanan and Siruma towns in Camarines Sur.
At least 5,398 passengers bound for the Visayas were stranded at Matnog Port in Sorsogon, Bapor Port in Pasacao Camarines Sur, and San Pascual port in Masbate.
The tropical depression damaged five houses partially in Mobo town in Masbate, said Gremil Alexis Naz, OCD Bicol spokesperson.
The state weather bureau said in its 11 a.m. bulletin that Agaton was in the vicinity of Balangiga, Eastern Samar.
It has maximum sustained winds of 45 km/hour near the center and gustiness of up to 75 km/h. It was slowly moving eastward.
Tropical cyclone wind signal number 1 prevails over the southern portion of Masbate (Dimasalang, Cawayan, Palanas, Placer, Cataingan, Esperanza, Pio V. Corpuz), Eastern Samar, Samar, Northern Samar, Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte, and the northeastern portion of Cebu (Daanbantayan, Medellin, City of Bogo, Tabogon, Borbon, Sogod), including Camotes Island and Dinagat Islands.