City streets flooded; ‘Egay’ to bring rains

LESS than one hour of rain yesterday afternoon left several streets flooded in Cebu City and Mandaue City, stalling vehicles in waist-deep water in some parts of the metropolis and tying up traffic.

Tropical Depresssion “Egay,” packing 55 kph winds, is heading for eastern Visayas but its presence with the southwest monsoon will bring more rain in Cebu and Central Visayas, the state weather bureau Pagasa said yesterday.

There was waist-deep water in barangay Kasambagan I, the site of a fire earlier this week.

Fire victims and other residents were stranded due to the flashflood, said barangay captain Jerry Guardo.

In the Cebu port, ships resumed their routes. The Coast Guard said they are still assessing the situation especially for ships traveling to Samar and Leyte.

As of 5 p.m. yesterday, Storm Signal No. 1 was hoisted over Catanduanes and Eastern and Northern Samar provinces.

“Egay” is not expected to make landfall in the Philippines if it continues its course.

The rains caused the collapse of a three-meter-high retaining wall in barangay Kamputha at the extension of the Busay-Lahug River.

Kamputhaw barangay captain Lorenzo Basamot Sr. said families living by the river were told to evacuate.

Traffic was heavy in the streets of Kinasang-an, Sikatun, Bonifacio, Colon, P. Del Rosario, L Kilat, Colon and Duterte.

Citom chairman Sylvan Jakosalem said they had to reroute vehicles to ease the congestion. Some vehicles stalled in the waterlogged streets.

City sanitation workers had to declog canals in the main streets during the downpour.

In Cebu province, there were no immediate reports of landslides although a bridge in Moalboal town was reportedly damaged due to the rains, said Provincial Civil Defense Coordinator Estrellita Escanan.   Reporter Dale G. Israel and Correspondents Carmel Loise Matus and Fatrick Tabada with Inquirer reports