Villages in Bicol still submerged as Kristine dumps record rainfall

READ: LIVE UPDATES: Tropical Storm Kristine

Search and rescue operations in Zone 6, Libon, Albay on October 23, 2024. | PHOTO: Official Facebook page of Coast Guard District Bicol

GUINOBATAN, Albay — Some 356 villages across 54 towns and cities in the Bicol Region remained submerged in floodwaters on Wednesday, following the record-breaking rainfall brought by Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami).

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Bicol expects the numbers to rise as more reports come in from local disaster response teams, which are overwhelmed with ongoing rescue and relief efforts.

OCD spokesperson Gremil Alexis Naz told the Inquirer that local government units are still focused on responding to urgent calls for help, causing delays in the submission of detailed reports.

In Daet, Camarines Norte, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) recorded the highest 24-hour rainfall since the 1920s.

From Tuesday morning to Wednesday morning, Kristine dumped 528.5 millimeters of rain, surpassing the previous record of 507.5 millimeters in December 2000.

This new record is almost double the October high of 283.5 millimeters recorded in 1973.

Legazpi City in Albay also saw its highest October rainfall on record, with 431 millimeters recorded over 24 hours, exceeding the previous record of 282.7 millimeters set on Oct. 25, 2020.

The highest daily rainfall ever recorded in Legazpi was 484.6 millimeters on Nov. 3, 1967.

GRAPHIC: Ed Lustan