BUTUAN CITY – Rescue teams from various disaster risk reduction and management councils (DRRMCs) in Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte and this city, as well as troops of the Army’s Third Special Forces Battalion (3rd SFBn) were mobilized as a large number of villagers in these provinces were affected flash floods caused by heavy rains brought by tropical depression Vicky.
Some low-lying areas in this region’s premier and capital city, including in downtown areas, were also flooded as rescue teams from the Butuan City DRRMC also mobilized to closely watch the mighty Agusan River for possible evacuation of residents residing along its banks.
Some areas along the Maharlika National Highway in Agusan del Sur were also flooded, particularly in the towns of Trento, San Francisco and Rosario.
In San Miguel town, a number of flooded provincial roads and bridges were also no longer passable to vehicles, sketchy reports reaching this city also said.
Caraga Public Works and Highways Regional Director Engr. Pol M. Delos Santos already mobilized its disaster regional and provincial task force for clearing operations of roads in some affected areas in the region.
In a phone interview with The Manila Bulletin late Friday afternoon, 3rd SFBn Civil Military Operations (CMO) Officer First Lt. Krisjuper Andreo J. Punsalan said their field units and the Lianga Municipal DRRMC already rescued more than 100 residents in about 50 households in Barangay Payasan, Lianga, Surigao del Sur.
“MDRRMC and our field units continue to address and rescue other affected areas caused by the heavy rain and landfall of the typhoon,” the 3rd SFBn CMO officer said.
He said other parts of Prosperidad town already experienced landslides on the Prosperidad-San Francisco (Agusan del Sur)-Barobo (Surigao del Sur) road nets.
“As of this time, we are still awaiting for other reports from our field units and MDRRMCs,” Punsalan said.
Meanwhile, some 245 families or 840 villagers in different parts of the Caraga region fled their homes after five days of continuous rains triggered flash floods, civil defense officials here said.
The action center and regional office of OCD 13 here said 195 of these families were from three barangays in Jabonga, Agusan del Norte.
In Surigao del Sur, residents near mountainous areas in Purok Bombels, Barangay Awasian, Tandag City were advised to temporarily vacate their homes due to land cracks.