SWAMPED. A flooded area in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental. Classes in all levels were suspended in the northern Negros locality on Wednesday (May 3, 2023) after heavy rains since the previous night brought floods to many areas in the city. (Photo courtesy of Jhong Bersales)
BACOLOD CITY – At least two local government units (LGUs) in Negros Occidental suspended classes at all levels on Wednesday due to floods brought by torrential rains since Tuesday night.
Those that declared localized cancelation of classes include San Carlos City and Calatrava town in the north and Pulupandan town in the south.
In a public advisory, the San Carlos City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office warned of flood and landslide hazards due to rains triggered by thunderstorms.
“These potential risks may be aggravated by the continuous moderate and heavy rains,” it added.
In low-lying areas, city roads have been flooded while houses have been submerged in sheet floods.
Mayor Renato Gustilo said in a radio interview that almost half of the city experienced flooding after heavy rains on Tuesday night, but the floodwaters began to subside on Wednesday morning, rendering all roads to be passable.
Over in Pulupandan, Mayor Miguel Antonio Peña canceled classes “due to continued inclement weather and flooding in certain areas” of the municipality.
However, LGU offices and services are open, he added.
As of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, the local weather forecast showed that Western Visayas, including Negros Occidental and this capital city, will have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms caused by the intertropical convergence zone or low-pressure area (LPA).
Earlier at 3 p.m., the LPA was “estimated based on all available data in the vicinity of Tanjay, Negros Oriental,” it added. (PNA)
