In Bicol, damage wrought by Kristine on agri, infra tops P6B

POWER RESTORATION Power restoration work continues in the town of Tiwi in Albay on Oct. 28, a week after strong rains and winds brought by Severe Tropical Storm “Kristine” (international name: Trami) caused a blackout in the geothermal energy-rich town. As of Thursday, only three of its 25 villages have their electricity restored. —TIWI MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT PHOTO

LEGAZPI CITY — The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Bicol has reported over P6.7 billion in damage to agriculture, infrastructure, and other government properties in the region caused by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami), which dumped torrential rains to its provinces last week.

Agriculture accounted for P1.9 billion of the damage, affecting crops, livestock, poultry, and other agricultural infrastructure, said the OCD-Bicol in a report released Thursday through its spokesperson, Gremil Alexis Naz.

Camarines Sur, where Naga City is located, was the hardest hit, suffering at least P927 million in damage. It was followed by Albay province, which incurred about P369 million.

Naga City, some villages of which have yet to recover over a week since it was hit by widespread and severe flood on Oct. 22, and the towns affected in Camarines Sur and Albay acted as catch basins for floodwaters.

As of Thursday, 379 villages remained flooded in Camarines Sur, along with two in Libon town, Albay.

The severe flooding also caused extensive damage to bridges, roads, flood control structures, and other facilities, totaling over P4.8 billion.

According to Naz, at least 111 roads and bridges were still not passable, while 30 others were only accessible to light vehicles.

Noninfrastructure facilities, including streetlights and electrical systems, sustained damage pegged at P2.5 million.

The storm has resulted in 57 reported deaths, four missing persons, and 35 injuries, primarily due to flooding and landslides.

Most of the 42 fatalities in Camarines Sur were attributed to drowning, as heavy rains submerged over 662 villages, with floodwaters reaching the roofs of houses.

Some reports on fatalities were still being validated by disaster management offices.

Power outages

In Albay’s Tiwi town, residents were facing power outages, as much of the local electrical supply remained disrupted following the devastation caused by Kristine.

Many barangays remained without power, leaving thousands of residents and evacuees struggling to cope with the aftermath of the storm as restoration efforts continued.

In a phone interview on Thursday, Tiwi Mayor Jaime Villanueva said that only three of the town’s 25 barangays have had their power fully restored.

“The primary power lines are still down, with all electric posts in the area toppled by the strong winds,” Villanueva said.

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He noted that electricians from Tiwi’s barangays are collaborating to repair drop wires in residents’ homes to minimize disruptions once power is fully restored.

The storm’s impact has also damaged the major bridge connecting Tiwi to other towns in Albay, reducing travel to a single lane and limiting movement to and from the area.

‘Unexpected’

Villanueva said the storm’s impact was more severe than initially projected.

While the state weather bureau had predicted gusts of up to 85 kilometers per hour, local weather equipment recorded wind speeds between 140 and 155 kph, catching residents off guard.

Villanueva said the extent of the damage was “unexpected,” adding that 100 houses were destroyed and over 5,000 homes sustained damage.

Albay Electric Cooperative information officer Anj Galero said they were working to restore power across the province, adding they focused first on backbone lines before addressing the lateral lines. INQ