171 families flee as Neneng causes floods in Cagayan

TUGUEGARAO CITY — Disaster officials said in a report Sunday morning that their response units were able to evacuate some 171 families or 423 people in Santa Ana town, Cagayan province as Severe Tropical Storm Neneng (international name: Nesat) continue to pour rains over northern Luzon.

Santa Ana information officer Irene Faustino told Inquirer in an online interview that responders were also able to rescue a sexagenarian who had to cling to a malunggay tree for hours before he was found in Rapuli village as floods persisted in low-lying areas in the town.

“The floods are receding now but rescue operations continue this morning while clearing is ongoing at areas where the water receded,” Faustino told the Inquirer.

Santa Ana Mayor Nelson Robinion and other officials have been scouring the villages to assess the damage, noting that farm animals, poultry, and swine also drowned in the flood, Faustino said.

Twin landslides also happened along the boundary of Santa Ana and Gonzaga towns, just meters away from the town welcome arc, and another in Rapuli village.

Clearing operations have been ongoing.

The state weather bureau, in its 8 a.m. bulletin, said Neneng maintained its strength and was moving away from Babuyan Islands going West northwestward at 20 km/h. It had “maximum sustained winds of 95 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 115 km/h, and central pressure of 985 hPa,” Pagasa said.

Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 3 was raised in the southern portion of Batanes (Basco, Mahatao, Uyugan, Ivana, Sabtang) and Babuyan Islands, while TCWS No. 2 prevailed over the rest of Batanes, the rest of Cagayan, Apayao, the northern portion of Abra (Tineg, Lacub, Lagayan), and Ilocos Norte. Several areas in north Luzon were also placed under TCWS No. 1.

READ: Neneng maintains strength, to be closest to Batanes, Babuyan Islands on Sunday