Heavy downpour inundates Metro
Officials ready mitigation measures; Pagasa warns of rainy weekend Intense to torrential rains in Metro Cebu Wednesday evening caused floods in Cebu, Mandaue and Talisay cities.
Creeks overflowed to the national highway in portions of barangay Mabolo, Cebu City and barangays Subangdaku and Tipolo trapping motorists and passengers, many on their way home.
In the North Reclamation Area in Cebu City, floodwaters lingered up to near midnight, especially in the Kaohsiung Street side of the SM Cebu Mall.
In Talisay City, around 200 households were affected by floods in barangays Poblacion and Cansojong.
Data from the Mactan Cebu weather station, reflected in the National Operations Assessments Hazard (Project Noah) website indicate intense to torrential rains in Metro Cebu from around 8 to 9:30 p.m. Rain is classified as intense if it pours 3 – 7.9 mm of water. It is torrential if the rainfall is over 8 mm.
Moderate to heavy rain was also recorded from arounr 10:15 p.m. to 12:30 a.m Friday.
Cebu City Michael Rama who inspected the flooded areas last Wednesday evening underscored the need to implement the P2.4 billion drainage masterplan of Cebu City. (See related story.)
In the Capitol, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) convened yesterday to bolster preparations for possible disaster brought by the rainy season.
Neil Sanchez, head of the province’s disaster risk reduction office said they did not receive major damage brought by the rains, but thought that all stakeholders should be asked to prepare for disaster related to the rainy season.
After the meeting, Sanchez said they submitted a “wish list” to incoming governor Hilario “Junjun” Daivide III.
“It’s a matter of reviewing the funds that we have right now. If the funds would allow it, we need rubber boats, more heavy equipments, communications equipments, and transportation,” Sanchez told reporters at the Capitol’s conference room.
Warning protocols
He said the use of different communications system has been a common problem of disaster responders and managers.
“We need to have a uniform system as far as giving warnings to the people. Hopefully, the warnings will be accessible through the cellphones. We also need to have a uniform reporting system for the province,” he said.
Sanchez also reminded the local government units (LGUs) to prepare evacuation centers other than the public schools.
“We discouraged LGUs to use the schools as evacuation centers. We don’t want to hamper classes. Public schools can be used for three days only. LGUs should identify alternate evacuation centers like churches and bodegas,” he said.
Sanchez urged the public to be proactive with regard to disaster preparedness.
“The LGUs are useless if our community won’t help. It’s a two way approach right now. The community should be involved here,” he said.
Acting Gov. Agnes Magpale said the province is strengthening the capability of towns and cities on disaster preparedness.
Magpa le said LGUs in towns and cities in the province have the responsibility to attend to the needs of affected constituents for the first two days during or after any catastrophy.
On the third day, she said the provincial government shall come in to assist.
Police prepares too
Cebu Provincial Police Office director Senior Supt. Patrocinio Comendador has briefed all station commanders to secure their respective areas especially this rainy season where natural disasters like flooding and landslides are more likely to prevail.
Public safety concerns can be directed to the different police units in the province in case calamity arise.
He said that police personnel would be actively assisting the local government units (LGUs) during disasters.
“We are to secure the equipments and to secure the people especially in evacuating,”he added.
Comendador identified the towns of Balamban, Toledo, Naga, Oslob, Santander, Dumanjug, and Dumanjug as the areas which are mostly affected by landlslides and flooding.
Rainy weekend
According to PAG-ASA Mactan, another low pressure area (LPA) will be felt in central Visayas by the weekend.
PAG-ASA Mactan has detected that the LPA would possibly form into a tropical cyclone.
PAGASA Mactan weather bureau Chief Oscar Tabada said that the heavy rains in Metro Cebu last Wednesday night was brought by the southwest monsoon.
At least 34.9 millimeter of rainfall was measured within their 24-hour monitoring from Wednesday to Thursday./Ador Vincent Mayol, Jucell Marie P. Cuyos, Joy Cherry Quito, Jhunnex Napallacan and Gabriel C. Bonjoc
