- MITCH M. LIPA
More than 20 families were evacuated in the towns of La Castellana and Isabela in Negros Occidental Sept. 7 following heavy rainfall brought by typhoon “Jolina”.
The Provincial Disaster Management Program Division said 19 families, composed of 56 individuals, from Barangay Robles in La Castellana, were forced to evacuate but some residents opted to stay put until the floodwater subsided.
Two houses were destroyed and 16 others damaged in La Castellana, it added.
The local DRRMO also reported damage to infrastructure along the river wall of a flood control dike. The Camandag Overflow was not passable yesterday morning although the water subsided in about two hours.
In Isabela, seven families from barangays Tinongan, 4, and 5 were also evacuated. The 27 affected individuals temporarily stayed at the municipal evacuation center.
In Pontevedra, 64 families were affected by flood, including seven families in Barangay Cambarus, and 51 families from Barangay San Isidro. Flood also hit several houses in Barangay DSB Trinidad.
In the town of Hinigaran, the local DRRMO reported one house damaged and two big trees uprooted, that caused a power outage in the service area of NOCECO.
In Binalbagan, a landslide was reported in Barangay Payao. The affected area, covering about 10 meters along the provincial road, temporarily caused traffic in the area.
Sea travel was also cancelled in the ports of Escalante and Sagay for Roll on, Roll off vessels bound for Cebu, and 130 passengers, 92 rolling cargoes, and four vessels were stranded.
As of the 8 p.m. bulletin of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal #1 earlier hoisted over Cadiz City, Manapla, EB Magalona, Victorias City, Sagay City, Escalante City, Toboso, Calatrava, and Silay City, has been lifted.
But the western portion of Northern Samar, north-western portion of Samar, Aklan, the north-western portion of Antique, Capiz, and the north-eastern portion of Iloilo, including Lemery, Ajuy, Concepcion, Sara, San Dionisio, Batad, Balasan, Estancia, Carles were still under TCWS #1.
Severe Tropical Storm “Jolina” also maintained its strength as it continues to move west northwestward over the Sibuyan Sea, with maximum sustained winds of 100 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 125 km/h, and central pressure of 996 hPa, the PAGASA said.
TCWS No. #2 was up over the north-western portion of Sorsogon, northern portion of Masbate, Romblon, Quezon, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, Rizal, Metro Manila, the southern portion of Bulacan, the southern portion of Bataan, Marinduque, the northern and central portions of Oriental Mindoro, and the western and southern portions of Camarines Sur. – MML
