‘Ofel’ attack: deadly floods in Cebu, evacuations in Bicol

Heavy rains brought by tropical depression “Ofel” caused flooding in large metropolitan areas of Cebu on Tuesday night and forced the evacuation of hundreds of families living in villages at the foot of the Mayon volcano in Albay province on Wednesday.

Two people died while a teenager disappeared in Cebu City, said Ramil Ayuman, officer in charge of the local Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and Management.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Ofel made landfall three times on Wednesday: in Can-avid, East Samar province, at 2:30 am; Matnog, Sorsogon province, at 6 am; and Isla Burias, province of Masbate, at noon.

As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, the center of Ofel was estimated at 125 kilometers west of Juban, Sorsogon, with 45-kilometer-per-hour winds near the center and gusts of up to 55 kilometers per hour.

The climate disturbance is expected to move west-northwest or west over the inland seas of southern Luzon and pass near or over Romblon and Mindoro provinces, Pagasa said. It would intensify into a tropical storm once it crosses into the Western Philippine Sea on Thursday morning and leaves the country on Friday, he said.

Heavy and sometimes heavy rains are expected on Thursday in the provinces of Camarines Norte, Quezón, Batangas, Laguna, Rizal, Cavite, Marinduque, Romblon and Mindoro.

Cebu Metro

The heavy downpour in Metro Cebu started around 6:30 pm on Tuesday night and lasted longer than 9 pm “What happened was unprecedented. It was too much. We have not experienced such an incident in years, ”Ayuman said.

It said the body of Flavio Gonzaga Detuya, 85, was found around 10 p.m. inside his flooded home in Barangay Lorega San Miguel, while that of Leonardo Otto, 48, was recovered in a stream in Barangay Lahug. Wednesday morning.

Detuya, he said, was unable to leave his residence when heavy flooding hit as Otto crossed the creek despite a warning from barangay officials.

Rescuers were still searching for an unidentified 16-year-old boy who may also have been washed away by the flood along Avenida General Maxilom.

The heavy downpour caused rivers to overflow, paralyze vehicles, and cover roads and highways.

Several cars on some roads were abandoned by their drivers, while other vehicles were seen floating as the water rose to the waist.

At least 230 people were evacuated from Barangay Pulangbato and 136 from Barangay Kalunasan. A still unknown number of people were transferred to Barangays Sambag Dos, Kamputhaw, T. Padilla, Lorega San Miguel and other parts of the city.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development provided them with food and other immediate necessities.

Mayon Villages

In Albay province, hundreds of families living in villages at the foot of the Mayon volcano were evacuated on Wednesday afternoon to avoid being trapped in their homes as heavy rains brought by Ofel raised fears of flooding, landslides and streams of mud.

In the city of Guinobatan, 525 families left their homes in Barangay Maninila and 378 families in Barangay Tandarora as local disaster councils followed instructions issued by the Albay Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office to evacuate residents before noon on Wednesday.

“IT WAS TOUCH” Leon Kilat and other streets in Cebu City are submerged after tropical depression “Ofel” caused heavy rains in the Cebu metropolitan area Tuesday night. “What happened was unprecedented. It was too much. We have not experienced an incident of this kind in years, ”said Ramil Ayuman, officer in charge of the City’s Office of Disaster Risk Reduction and Management. —PHOTO COURTESY OF JOHNRAIN YBURAN

“We want to keep them safe and achieve the (goal) of zero casualties during bad weather, that’s why we conducted preventive evacuation,” said Joy Maravillas, municipal disaster official.

The state meteorological bureau previously posted public storm signal No. 1 throughout the Bicol region.

If the disaster worsens, Maravillas said villagers may not be able to leave their homes because the roads connecting the villages of Maninila and Muladbucad had already eroded due to incessant rains since Tuesday night.

They will stay at Guinobatan East Central School and Binogsacan Primary School.

Cedric Daep, head of Albay’s Office of Public Safety Management and Emergencies, said the cities of Libon, Oas, Pioduran and Manito, and the city of Legazpi were also experiencing moderate to heavy rains.

Once preventive evacuation is in place, Daep directed local disaster councils to strictly implement coronavirus health measures, such as wearing masks and face shields, and physical distancing.

They must monitor the temperature of each evacuee and allow only four families to occupy a room, he said.

Stranded in ports

At midday Wednesday, at least 526 passengers, 156 trucks and 41 cars were stranded in Bicol ports after ferry services were canceled, according to the region’s Civil Defense Office.

The authorities stopped the trips of 17 vessels, 11 of which took refuge in the ports of Sorsogon, Albay and Camarines Sur.

Due to the combined effects of Ofel and the southwest monsoon, Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Palawan, Cagayan, Isabela, the rest of Bicol, Visayas and Mindanao could experience light to moderate, sometimes heavy, rains on Thursday.

Pagasa warned of possible floods, flash floods and rain-induced landslides during prolonged or heavy rains in areas prone to these hazards.

On Wednesday afternoon, the tropical cyclonic wind signal No. 1 was hoisted over Batangas, the southern portion of Laguna, the central and southern portions of Quezon, the Calamian Islands, Western Mindoro, Eastern Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, North Camarines , Camarines Sur, Albay and Masbate on Wednesday afternoon.

In Mandaue City, vehicular traffic was diverted to the first Mandaue-Mactan Bridge after the road to the Marcelo Fernan Bridge was flooded.

There were still no reports of damage to life and property in Eastern Samar, according to its provincial information officer, Phres Evardone. –WITH REPORTS FROM JHESSET O. ENANO AND JOEY GABIETA INQ

Read next

Don’t miss out on the latest news and information.