QUEZON – The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) here said that the portion of the Maharlika Highway in Barangay Canda in Lopez town was still submerged under floodwaters, and remained unpassable to vehicles as Wednesday afternoon, October 21.
Quezon PDRRMO Head Dr. Melchor Avenilla reported that vehicles going and from Bicol were still stranded in the area after floodwaters came rushing down from the mountain after heavy rains were brought by Tropical Storm Pepito.
Avenilla said the flood in Lopez town could remain for three to five days based on their observations.
He added that about 20,000 individuals were evacuated from the affected towns of Gumaca, Calauag, Guinayangan, and Lopez.
But as of late Wednesday, about half of them back have already gone back to their houses. Only those with their homes still submerged in water have remained at evacuation centers, or have gone to relatives.
Avenilla noted that flood waters reached chest-high, leaving residents no option but to use boats for transportation.
Major roads were severely affected at the boundary of Lopez and Calauag towns, according to Avenilla, as landslides hit the area Tuesday.
Avenilla added that the PDRRMO was already conducting an assessment on the possible reasons for the sudden and significant flooding.
He reported that, as of October 21, no casualty has been reported by the Lopez Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (MDRRMO).
Quezon Governor Danilo Suarez has ordered the sending of relief goods to the affected residents lead by the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office.
Suarez has blamed the destruction of watersheds for the unexpected flooding in the said area. He added that it seemed like the recently-constructed diversion road did not have the lined canal so it got flooded, as he told during an interview in the DZMM- Teleradyo.