EVACUATED. Residents affected by floods spend their Tuesday night in an evacuation center in Iloilo City. The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office emergency operations center recorded floods in 90 barangays in the city’s 180 barangays as of 7 a.m. of Wednesday (Aug. 30, 2023) (PNA photo courtesy of CDRRMO)
ILOILO CITY – Floods due to heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon and enhanced by Typhoon Goring forced some 6,103 families, or 26,132 individuals, to evacuate to safer grounds here Tuesday night.
City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) head Teresa Gelogo said the affected families validated as of 6:30 p.m. of Tuesday came from 58 barangays hit by floods.
“Since the water has gradually subsided early Wednesday morning, some have returned to their homes while those who could not make it will continue to stay in evacuation centers,” she said in an interview on Wednesday.
She added that all families have been served with food packs while they have requested 5,000 additional food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) emergency operations center has recorded floods in 90 barangays in the city’s 180 barangays as of 7 a.m. on Wednesday.
Floods were estimated to be as low as three inches and as high as six feet.
“While water has subsided in other areas, we continue to experience intermittent rains,” CDRRM Officer Donna Magno said in an interview.
Mayor Jerry Treñas, in a statement, said the floods experienced in the city on Tuesday was “the most severe ever since Typhoon Frank,” which struck the city 15 years ago.
The rain gauge installed at the Jaro district health center as of 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday has registered 256-millimeter rainfall for 24 hours.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration forecast for August was 356 millimeters.
“The amount of rain yesterday was almost equivalent to the one-month rainfall in August,” she said, adding the interplay of the high tide recorded on Tuesday as another factor.
The ongoing infrastructure projects in the city also prevented the direct flow of water.
Amid bad weather, Magno urged the public to remain vigilant and listen to advisories from authorities and mandated government agencies, especially with the expected entry of tropical storm Hanna. (PNA)
