Whirlwind wrecks 2 Mandaue homes

TWO houses were damaged and trees fell after a whirlwind hit sitio Sector 6, barangay Pagsabungan, Mandaue City, while rain fell on Tuesday night.

No one was hurt and other homes in the sitio were spared.

Each of the affected families will receive cash worth P5,000 and food assistance from the city’s Department of Social Welfare and Services, said Roger Paller, public information officer.

Nine-year-old Dave Clint Misal said he was looking out the window about 7 p.m. when he noticed leaves and branches swirling in the wind.

“The wind was moving in a circle, then our house shook,” he said.

After a few seconds, the roof of their house and bits of their walls came off. Dave ran and took shelter in a neighbors house.

“All our belongings got wet. There isn’t a dry piece of clothing,” said Shirley Misal, Dave’s mother, who came home when the rain stopped.

Carlito Managaytay’s house was also affected. The roof was blown away.

Yesterday morning, his family attached the roof and laid car tires to put some weight on it.

“We’ve been living here a long time but we only experienced a wind that strong that night,” Managaytay said.

Ipil-ipil trees in the area were uprooted.

Residents chopped the trees for use as firewood.

The weather bureau in Mactan does not have equipment to predict whirlwinds or waterspouts that are common in the rainy season, said engineer Al Quiblat, weather specialist./with reports from marian z. codilla and norman v. mendoza