Downpour topples tree, sinks vessel

A TOPPLED tamarind tree barred vehicles from entering S. Osmeña Street in sitio Vican, barangay Gun-ob Lapu-Lapu City amid a heavy downpour that started at 10 p.m Tuesday and lasted until 9:30 a.m yesterday.

Traffic personnel diverted oncoming traffic to another route while engineering crews sent by Lapu-Lapu City Hall cleared the tree at 10 a.m yesterday.

Local officials said the tree’s trunk weakened due to recent drainage work in the area.

The downpour caused by the southwest monsoon also caused huge waves and strong winds that sank the boat boarded by Caubian Barangay Captain Romeo Matbagon as it neared Olango island at the Lapu-Lapu mainland.

About 10 persons including a 12 -year-old and 13 year-old and Matbagon’s wife floated for more than an hour a few kilometers off Barangay Sta. Rosa in Olango island.

Another pumpboat spotted them and came to the rescue. They were all accounted for.

Matbagon celebrated his 70th birthday and was headed to Caubian island to prepare the island’s eco-tourism activities when the incident occurred.

Matbagon and his group safely reached Caubian island after Sta. Rosa Barangay Captain Braulio Inoc’s men transported them the following day to the island.

The Mactan office of the state weather bureau Pagasa said a shallow low pressure Area was seen 280 km east of Infanta, Quezon.

Pagasa Mactan weather analyst Al Quiblat said the southwest monsoon caused rains to last seven hours in Metro Cebu.

The rainy weather resulted in delays and cancellation of at least five flights from Manila and Dumaguete. Two flights from Manila and Cagayan de Oro were diverted to Iloilo City.

Quiblat said rains and cloudiness will still be experienced because of the localized thunderstorm clouds.

He said they recorded 221 mm of rainfall volume since Sept. 1, which was way above the 118 mm usually recorded this month.

Last Tuesday’s downpour was pegged at 70 mm.

But Quiblat said the volume of rainfall in Cebu was already above the normal level starting last week.

Residents in low-lying areas are advised to be vigilant, Quiblat added. Correspondents Fe Marie Dumaboc and Norman V. Mendoza