MONITORING THE EVACUEES. Koronadal City Mayor Eliordo Ogena (in white cap) talks with one of the flash flood victims in the regional evacuation center in Barangay San Jose Wednesday night (July 27, 2022). At least 100 families in five barangays of the city were affected by flash floods caused by a heavy downpour in the area. (Photo courtesy of Xha Xhing Azeledraj)
KORONADAL CITY – At least 100 families were evacuated to safer grounds when a flash floods caused by a heavy downpour submerged five exterior barangays in this city on Wednesday evening.
Cyrus Urbano, chief of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said Thursday many of the evacuees came from the hardest hit barangay Cacub that experienced a life-threatening flood.
“In Cacub, 55 flash flood affected families are now temporarily staying in their barangay gymnasium. Crops and infrastructures were also destroyed,” Urbano said.
In Barangay Topland, several families voluntarily evacuated and stayed with their relatives and neighbors living on safer grounds when the main irrigation canal traversing the provincial road overflowed.
“Several families affected by continuous erosion of the riverbank in Topland River evacuated to the local gymnasium a few days earlier,” Urbano said.
He added that families living near a riverbank in Barangay Esperanza were also evacuated. The city government sent two dump trucks to extricate the affected residents to their barangay gymnasium.
“I have yet to establish the exact number of affected families but what is definite is we have evacuees in Barangay Esperanza,” Urbano said.
In Barangay San Jose, at least nine families that were also affected by flash floods are now staying at the regional evacuation center in the area.
Urbano said the flood waters came from the mountainous areas of Barangays Topland and Cacub and parts of nearby Tampakan town.
The city government has distributed family food packs, sleeping mats, jerry cans and other essential needs to the flood victims. (PNA)
