PIA Press Release
2008/03/07
Flashfloods sweep Bohol barangaysby Rey Anthony Chiu
Tagbilaran City (7 March) -- LIKE A real lady, La Niña came accompanied by graceful showers to occasional surging downpour, but long and steady to gather enough water in upland catch basins, spill and cause flash floods in certain parts of Bohol, leaving in its wake yet undetermined damage to crops and property here.
In low-laying barangays of Pondol and Catagbacan Jandig in Loon, water from the mountains swelled the Pondol and Catagbacan creeks rendering some highway portions impassable to vehicular traffic for hours, Loon police reported.
Some 13 kilometers from the flooded roads in Loon, Calape councilor and civil defense deputized agent Engr. Lucio Carajay reported an overflowing of water on the banks of Liboron River on almost the same time between midnight of March 6 to early morning of March 6.
Moreover, low-laying areas in the next town Tubigon suffered similar fates, said Councilor Marlon Jamila, the towns civil defense agent.
He reported that flash floods were experienced in barangays Panaytayon, Pandan and Centro specifically in Sitio Ingod, due to the overflowing Bateria river.
Initial reports from Jamila said at least the flashfloods damaged some pumpboats and caused a fence to collapse in Tubigon.
Heavy and continuous rains also caused another flashflood in Bacani Clarin, specifically down the Bacani bridge, as reported by Clarin civil defense deputized coordinator Isidro Arcales.
No casualties however were reported in separate incidents.
Just as calls for weather updates swarmed the local Philippine Atmospheric and Geo-Physical Services Administration (PAG-ASA) weather station here, weather forecasters report no storms on the Philippine area of responsibility.
The rains, they said were caused by the cold front across Extreme Northern Luzon, while the wind convergence affected the Visayas and Mindanao regions.
The cold front, a complex weather system that brings the rains even in the beginning season of summer has actually heightened the effects of the onset of the La Niña phenomenon, said Engr. Emmanuel Oronan of the local weather station.
Bohol Civil Defense Coordinator Engr. Ver Neil Balaba and the Provincial Disaster Coordinator immediately went to inspect the areas affected while triggering municipal disaster teams to investigate and evaluate the damages.
As this developed, Balaba has urged communities settled along possible landslide and flash-flood prone areas to be vigilant and keep a watchful eye on the telltale signs of impending disasters, especially with the rains still expected until August. (PIA)
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