Foul weather spawns floods in Naga City on New Year’s Day

NAGA CITY, Philippines–Four days of incessant rains over Camarines Sur have caused knee-high flood in low-lying barangays (villages) in Naga City on New Year’s Day.

Naga City Mayor John Bongat said the city was placed under blue alert due to floods that have affected low-lying areas and those along Sagop Creek.

He said he has also directed village and disaster officials here to closely monitor the Bicol and Naga Rivers, both running along populated areas in the city, in case of an overflow.

Among the villages around Sagop Creek that were already flooded were Del Rosario, Concepcion Grande, Concepcion Pequeña, Triangulo and Tabuco, he said.

The mayor said they were prepared to evacuate residents in these areas should the foul weather continue to dump rains here.

Some villages in danger of being flooded should Naga River overflow were Panganiban, Peñafrancia, Igualdad, Abella and Sabang.

Bongat said the flood would likely subside immediately should the weather improve in the next few days as the city government has rehabilitated the city’s drainage system.