SURIGAO CITY (MindaNews / 19 Jan) – Nearly 2,000 families in three provinces in the Caraga Region have evacuated because of the heavy rains that triggered floods, according to the Office of Civil Defense.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), meanwhile, downgraded at 7:25 p.m. the flood warning for provinces in the Caraga Region from red (“serious flooding is expected in low-lying areas and landslides in mountainous areas”) to orange (“flooding is threatening in low lying areas and near river channels and landslides over mountainous areas”) as rains have apparently lessened.
In a statement issued at 6 p.m. Thursday, OCD said a total of total of 1,829 families or 8,211 individuals from Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur and Surigao del Norte have left their homes for safety and are now in different evacuation centers in the region.
This is based on the data gathered by the Caraga Region Risk Reduction Management Council as of 5 p.m.
The town of Loreto in Agusan del Sur has the most evacuees at 3,140.
In Cabadbaran City in Agusan del Norte, at least 1,415 individuals left their homes while 1,302 residents of Butuan City sought shelter elsewhere for their safety.
The town of Jabonga in Agusan del Norte has 1,193 evacuees, while the municipalities of Tubay and Remedios T. Romualdez have a combined number of 318 evacuees.
The town of Mainit in Surigao del Norte, meanwhile, has 746 individuals who were relocated due to the flooding.
Aside from the Caraga provinces, areas included in the orange warning level are Bukidnon and Camiguin.
Misamis Oriental, Misamis Occidental and Lanao del Norte were likewise downgraded to yellow warning level. (Roel N. Catoto / MindaNews)