ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/23 September) – Some 200 residents of Barangay San Jose Gusu were evacuated to the public elementary school there Sunday due to floods brought about by continuous rains and strong winds spawned by an inter-tropical convergence zone (ITCZ).
Francisco Barredo, City Social Welfare and Development Officer, said 44 families with 155 dependents in Barangay San Jose Gusu, west of the city, evacuated to the San Jose Gusu Elementary School due to the rising waters . Reports received by his office also indicated flooding in the barangays of Tugbungan, Mangusu and Vitali in the eastern part.
Mayor Celso Lobregat activated the rescue and relief operations teams of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) as the weather condition remained unstable in the last 48 hours.
Lobregat proceeded to the San Jose Gusu upon receipt of the report on the flooding, to oversee rescue and relief operations.
He advised all families residing along river banks and low lying areas as well as those along coastal areas to seek higher and safer grounds as continuous rains and strong winds continue to pound this city.
Strong winds also uprooted trees in some areas including Carmen Valley, Barangay Pasonanca, rendering the road temporarily closed to traffic on Sunday.
Power supply was also affected in Barangay Pasonanca and other areas.
The continuous rains experienced by this city since Friday was spawned by ITCZ and not by tropical storm Lawin, City Administrator Antonio Orendain, Jr. Orenda, said, citing reports from the local office of the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration.
Lawin was battering the Samar and Bicol areas as of Sunday.
Lobregat called on barangay officials to monitor the situation in their respective areas.
Tuesday last week, heavy rains spawned by a low pressure area (LPA) triggered floods in barangay Ayala, west of this city. Two houses made of light materials were swept away. A hundred and fifty families residing near the river banks evacuated.
The floods reached knee-deep but quickly receded and the affected families returned to their dwellings at around 9 p.m. on the same day. (MindaNews)
