DISPLACED BY FLOOD. About 1,286 families or 4,813 individuals from the five barangays in Butuan City and 560 families from different towns in Agusan del Norte seek shelter in government schools and institutions on Tuesday afternoon (June 1, 2021) due to floods caused by Tropical Storm Dante. The city government provided them food aid and other necessities. (Photo courtesy of Butuan City PIO)
BUTUAN CITY – Flooding in low-lying and flood-prone areas in this city and in several towns in Agusan del Norte caused by Tropical Storm Dante has forced over 1,500 residents to temporarily abandon their abodes for safety.
In the city, a total of 1,286 families or 4,813 individuals from Barangays Los Angeles, Sto. Niño, Ampayon, Pangabugan, and Lemon were evacuated by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office to safer grounds as floodwaters rose in their localities.
No fatalities were reported though by authorities as of press time in Butuan City.
Michiko de Jesus, of the information office of Butuan, said displaced families are now temporarily housed in schools and other government facilities.
“The affected families are still in evacuation centers as floods in most areas have not yet subsided. The CDRRMC is still making assessments on the situation of affected barangays,” de Jesus told the Philippine News Agency Wednesday.
She added that the city government has already provided food aid and other necessities to the affected families.
In Agusan del Norte, 560 families were also evacuated from different towns due to the onslaught of "Dante" on Tuesday afternoon.
Of the total number of affected families, 41 were from Cabadbaran City, 304 from Remedios T. Romualdez, 171 from Jabonga, and 44 from Tubay.
Most of the evacuees are still in the evacuation center on Wednesday as floodwaters have not yet subsided in most areas affected by "Dante".
The local government units have already provided the affected families with food and other needs while staying temporarily in evacuation centers.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard in the provinces of Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, and Surigao del Sur have already lifted the temporary suspension of trips of sea vessels and watercraft.
Works in government and private offices in towns in Surigao del Sur have already resumed.
The Department of Public Works and Highways in Caraga reported that the flooded portion of the national highway connecting Butuan City and Surigao City, particularly in Barangay Tagmamarkay, Tubay, Agusan del Norte, is already passable. (PNA)
