LEGAZPI CITY, Albay – Acting Gov. Glenda Ong-Bongao claimed on Wednesday, Oct. 23, that tropical storm "Kristine" brought "record-breaking" rain and flooding in the province.
BONGAO (FB)
"Record-breaking ‘yung nangyaring pagbaha. ‘Yung mga lugar na hindi naman talaga binabaha pero ngayon talagang grabe ‘yung bahang nangyari," she said.
(Albay logged record-breaking flooding. Areas that are not usually flooded have been flooded)
Bongao said that she ordered the evacuation of residents at risk of flooding, lahar, and landslide as early as Tuesday morning.
"Ang nangyari naman kasi yesterday, sabi nga naman natin parang expected naman talaga na ganito na supposed to be dapat after 5 p.m. wala ng gagalaw, lahat nasa tamang lugar na, para wala ng disgrasyang mangyari. Kaya as early as with the help of Engr. Dante Baclao and Dr. Cedric Daep, naglabas na kami ng advisory na 12 o'clock pa lang dapat nag-start na ‘yung evacuation para pag 5 o'clock nasa evacuation center na. But hindi ganun ‘yung nangyari, maybe because signal No. 1 lang and ‘yung baha kasi nakita natin ngayon ay hindi natin nakita kailan man na nangyari dito sa probinsiya ng Albay," she said.
(I ordered an evacuation and that evacuees should be in evacuation centers before 5 p.m. to avoid untoward incidents. With the help of Engr. Dange Baclao and Dr. Cedric Daep, we issued an advisory that evacuation should start at 12 noon for evacuees to be at evacuation centers at 5 p.m. But that did not happen, maybe because it was still Signal No. 1. I have not yet seen a flood of this magnitude in the province of Albay)
Albay Public Safety and Emergency Management Office (APSEMO) officer-in-charge Engr. Dante Baclao said that the town of Libon experienced 12-feet high flood.
Baclao said disclosed that flooding from "Kristine" is the worst in 54 years and super typhoon "Reming" in 2006.
The region received rain two-months worth of rain in 24 hours.
"First time na naranasan since 54 years ago based po ‘yan sa data ng PAGASA and ngayon si Kristine mas matindi ‘yung dalang pag-ulan. Kasi ‘yung ibinuhos na ulan katumbas ng two months within 24 hours," Baclao said.
(This is the first time we experienced such amount of rain in 54 years based on PAGASA data. Kristine brought rain worth two months within 24 hours)
He said Reming had only less than 400-millimeters of rain in 24 hours but Kristine had 533-mm in 24 hours.
Baclao said that at least 4,948 families or 17,095 individuals have been evacuated as of 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22.
Water has been receding and rescue is also underway, he said.
"Sa ngayon mataas pa rin ang tubig pero may mga areas na medyo humuhupa na. Actually kagabi maraming humihingi ng tulong kaya lang ang handicap namin hindi makapasok rescuers natin kasi masyadong mataas. Umabot ng bubong ng bahay," he added.
(The water is still high but it has been receding. Many people have been asking for help since last Tuesday night but rescuers are having difficulty due to water level that reached the roof of houses)
Baclao said there is no reported casualty in the entire province of Albay of 8 a.m. Wednesday.
Bongao appealed for help for the people of Albay in evacuation centers.
She said that among their immediate needs are food, medicine, water, and clothes.
Typhoon "Sening" (international name “Joan”) was the worst tropical cyclone to hit the Bicol region in history.
Sening directly hit Naga City in October 1970 and rendered 80,000 people homeless, killed 768 people, and injured 1,600 individuals.