CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY (MindaNews / 28 Jan) — The Code Red rainfall advisory over 14 of Mindanao’s 27 provinces as of 4 p.m. Saturday (Jan. 28) has been downgraded to Orange and Yellow as of 7 p.m., the state weather bureau said.
A total of 14 out of 27 Mindanao provinces were declared under Code Red in the Serious Flood Warning issued at 4 p.m. by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA): the entire Caraga region (Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur), the Northern Mindanao povinces of Bukidnon, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte Misamis Occidental and Misamis Oriental, and Lanao del Sur in the ARMM.
At 7 p.m. Heavy Rainfall Warning No.12 placed Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur under Code Orange; Bukidnon, Camiguin and Misamis Oriental under Code Yellow; and for portions of Zamboanga Peninsula, Davao del Norte, Davao City, Compostela Valley, Misamis Occidental, North Cotabato, South Cotabato and Lanao del Sur –light to moderate rains.
PAGASA said the heavy rainfall is due to the trough of low pressure area and the tailend of a cold front.
According to PAGASA, a red rainfall advisory is issued “when downpours constitute an emergency.” This is raised when observed rainfall is more than 30 mm within one hour or if rainfall has continued for the past three hours and is more than 65 mm.
An orange rainfall advisory is raised in areas where rainfall is between 15 mm and 30 mm within one hour. PAGASA raised an orange rainfall advisory over the provinces of Zamboanga del Norte, Zamboanga del Sur, Zamboanga Sibugay and Sarangani at 4 p.m. Earlier at 1 p.m. only Zamboanga del Norte and Sarangani were classified under Code Orange.
A yellow rainfall advisory is raised when the expected rainfall amount is between 7.5 mm and 15 mm within one hour and likely to continue.
Evacuations
In Cagayan de Oro City, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) reported 174 families or 606 persons were evacuated. The city was under Orange alert as of Saturday morning as 79.2 mm rains were dumped in the city in 12 hours, according to Maricel Casino Rivera, City Information Officer.
Rivera said the flash flood along CM Recto Avenue in front of Limketkai Mall had subsided as of 3 p.m.
In Balingoan, Misamis Oriental, a landslide was reported along the way to Barangay Dahilig, rendering it impassable even to motorcycles. Fernando Vincent Dy, Misamis Oriental Disaster Risk Reduction Management Officer said.
Dy said that at least 499 families had evacuated to higher grounds in the towns of Balingasag and Medina and Gingogg City. (Froilan Gallardo /MindaNews)
