• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Anticipating heavy rains due to Tropical Storm Ada, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) on Friday (Jan. 16) warned of possible lahar flows in rivers and drainage areas on Kanlaon Volcano, which remains at Alert Level 2.
This developed as blue alert status is now being observed by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council Emergency Operations Center (PDRRMC).
At the same time, the PDRRMC issued an advisory, calling on the public to be cautious of possible ash fall emitted by Kanlaon Volcano that spewed ash on Friday.
On Thursday, two ash emissions were also observed at Kanlaon Volcano along with the occurrence of 46 volcano-tectonic quakes.
In a lahar advisory, Phivolcs said prolonged heavy rainfall could generate life-threatening lahars and sediment-laden streamflows on major channels draining the southern, western, and eastern slopes of Kanlaon Volcano.
Post-eruption lahars can be generated by heavy rainfall eroding loose material from remnant pyroclastic density current deposits of recent explosive eruptions and loose ashfall mostly from recent ash emission events, it added.
In addition, non-eruption lahars could be generated when areas on the upper slopes that have been recently exposed by landslides or weakened during the passage of Typhoon Tino in November last year become susceptible to failure, and feed to rivers that have already delivered destructive flows to downstream communities.
Communities of Bago City, La Carlota City, La Castellana, Moises Padilla and San Carlos City in Negros Occidental, and Canlaon City in Negros Oriental that are situated along the following channels may be affected by lahars and sediment-laden streamflows and related flooding and siltation.
Phivolcs warned that Kanlaon lahars, which were shown by Typhoon Tino, is strong enough to transport enormous volumes of gravel and boulders, and could threaten communities by their force of impact, inundation, burial, and wash out. | GB
