• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Five local government units in northern Negros were hit by flashfloods that were caused by more than four hours of rain, brought about by the combined effects of Tropical Depression Romina and a shearline, from Sunday evening to early morning of December 23, leading to the evacuation of 1,258 families, composed of 3,438 individuals.
Hardest hit were five barangays of Cadiz City, with 1,022 families, comprising 3,438 persons, seeking higher ground for their safety, as flood waters were reported to be as high as 10 to 15 feet in the villages of Andres Bonifacio, Caduhaan, and Magsaysay, according to reports of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.
Other affected areas also included the barangays of Luna and Burgos in Cadiz City.
Some residents even sought refuge on the rooftop of their houses, until they were rescued past midnight of Dec. 22. At the same time, three bridges in Brgy. Daga, Cadiz City, were overwhelmed by flood waters.
Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr. disclosed that heavy rains in the mountains from Saturday up to Sunday, led to the rising water in rivers, which flowed into the lowlands.
Escalante said that their initial report indicated that 1,842 families composed of 5,528 persons were affected by the flash floods in 15 barangays of Cadiz City
He also discouraged the affected Cadiz residents from returning to their respective homes, and to wait for the weather to clear first, adding that the city government has enough food provisions.
A total of 206 families, composed of 536 persons, also evacuated from Brgys. 1A, Tortosa, Punta Mesa, 1 and 2 in Manapla, while the 10 families affected by the flash floods in Victorias City, and one family in Sagay City, already returned to their homes on Monday.
Floodwaters that rose to two feet were also reported in the barangays of Damgo and Pasil in E.B. Magalona. However, no evacuations took place.
A total of 2,055 families, comprising 6,180 persons,were affected by the flash floods, which were reported by the PDRRMC to have subsided as of yesterday.
Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson disclosed on Monday that the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office sent 300 food packs for affected Manapla residents and 820 food packs for Cadiz City.*
