HOMELESS Social workers in Zamboanga City interview villagers who are among the more than a thousand families displaced or made homeless by the sudden surge of water in Barangay Manicahan, Zamboanga City, on Sunday night. —MANICAHAN SANGGUNIANG KABATAAN PHOTO
ZAMBOANGA CITY—More than a thousand families were displaced when a “storm surge” struck a village in the eastern coast of this city on Sunday night, sweeping away numerous houses.
Elmeir Apolinario, the city disaster risk reduction and management officer, confirmed on Monday that 1,010 families or 3,800 individuals fled to safer grounds, after their houses were washed away by the sudden rise of waves along the bay area of Barangay Manicahan, located some 20.7 kilometers from the city center here.
“We received a report from the barangay that the water rose to around five feet, which was unusually high and created [panic] among residents,” Apolinario said.
“There was no warning since the city’s weather was extraordinarily warm the previous day,” he added.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) defines a storm surge as the abnormal rise in sea level that occurs during tropical cyclones, leaving officials puzzled since there was no weather disturbance when the surge occurred.
“According to Pagasa, a storm surge is caused by strong winds and low atmospheric pressures produced by tropical cyclones but the weather was fine in the barangay when the incident happened,” according to BJ Angeles, barangay information officer of Manicahan.
Aid on the way
Apolinario said the coastal villagers (mostly fishermen) observed the sudden rise of water, followed by big waves. “It was hot and humid yesterday and I was even surprised when (Manicahan Barangay Chair) Erolin Barredo called, informing me about it,” Apolinario added.
He said validation and assessment of the damage were still ongoing in at least five “purok” (subvillages) hit by the waves.
Although earlier reports said there were only five houses that were destroyed and around 20 that were partially damaged, one person was injured while around 80 houses were partially damaged by the waves, Angeles said.
Among the badly hit neighborhoods were Purok Campun Salamat, where 254 families were affected; Purok Riverside, where 225 families were affected; Purok Bacolod, 198; Purok PLDT, 130; and Purok Seaside, 203 families.
Maria Socorro Rojas, city social welfare officer, said they were finalizing the list of affected families for the food packs and hygiene kits they were going to distribute.
READ: Authorities verifying reports of 30 casualties due to storm surges
She said, however, that most of the displaced families did not want to go to the evacuation centers, preferring to either shelter with friends and relatives or to stay behind to fix their damaged houses.
Mayor John Dalipe had tasked the City Social Welfare and Development Office to provide the necessary assistance to the affected families as soon as possible. INQ