Heavy rains trigger floods, slides in Bicol

DIFFERENT PLAYGROUND Children play in flooded streets at Barangay Cabagñan West in Legazpi City in Albay on Wednesday. Heavy rains starting Tuesday triggered floods and landslides in different provinces in the Bicol region. —Carlo Vicente/Contibutor

LEGAZPI CITY, ALBAY, Philippines — Heavy rains caused by the shear line which started pouring Tuesday night had triggered flooding and caused landslides in several areas in Bicol region on Wednesday.

The continuous rains prompted the Albay provincial government to order an early work dismissal on Wednesday as residents struggled with rising floodwater in some areas due to overflowing rivers.

Gov. Baby Glenda Bongao, in an advisory, said the suspension of work in government offices, which started at noon, did not include agencies involved in public safety, disaster risk reduction, health, and related services.

Bongao also encouraged private establishments and offices to consider early dismissal due to the poor weather condition.

In this capital city of Albay, the villages of Capantawan, Orosite and Cabagnan were submerged in floodwaters that that continued to rise Wednesday.

READ: In Bicol, 44 villages hit by floods; 2 drown

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Local governments in Albay were advised to evacuate residents in areas prone to flooding, landslides, and lahar flow from the slopes of Mayon Volcano.

Class suspensions, evacuations

Bongao also ordered local governments in Albay to implement localized suspension of classes due to expected 50 to 100 millimeter of rainfall.

Some local officials in the 18 towns and cities of Albay had already advised schools to shift to an alternative mode of learning early Wednesday.

In Sorsogon City, at least 502 residents were evacuated as several areas, including the city center, have been submerged in floods on Wednesday.

Louiesito Mendoza, head of the city disaster risk reduction and management office, told the Inquirer in a phone interview that 174 families were taken to evacuation centers after floods hit 22 of 64 villages in the city.

A video posted by a resident showed the floodwaters in Barangay Piot, in the city’s West District, reaching rooftops of single-story houses.

Mendoza blamed poor drainage and the high tide for the rapid rise of floodwaters.

Local officials in the provinces of Camarines Sur, Catanduanes and Sorsogon also ordered the suspension of classes on Wednesday.

In its 2 p.m. bulletin, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) raised a “red” rainfall warning over Catanduanes due to the threat of severe flooding and higher chances of landslides.

An “orange” rainfall warning was raised over Albay due to the threat of flooding in low-lying areas and near river channels, and landslides.

Camarines Sur and Sorsogon are under a “yellow” rainfall warning due to the possibility of flooding in low-lying areas and near river channels.