Habagat causes massive flood in Cagayan de Oro

TheMonintorMindanaoToday.com | Habagat causes massive flood in Cagayan de Oro 

By: Uriel Quilinguing

CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines – Southwest monsoon, known popularly as Habagat, which brought heavy to intense rains caused massive flooding here late afternoon and early evening on Tuesday, June 10.

The Office of Civil Defense in Northern Mindanao (OCD 10) said the downpour that started at 3 pm until 6 pm resulted to widespread flooding in at least seven villages, rendering vital thoroughfares impassable to all types of vehicles.

Habagat’s rainfall over this city on Tuesday measured between from 4.5 to 15 liters/square meter of water per hour, the Mindanao Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration Regional Services Division (MPRSD) said.

OCD 10’s report on Wednesday, June 11, said the worst-affected areas were Barangay 24, Balulang, Bulua, Camaman-an, Kauswagan, Lapasan, and Macasandig with several commuters stranded and village residents displaced. Barangay covered courts served as evacuation centers.

Other than Bitan-ag Creek that swelled, the canals overflowed due to huge volume of rainwater and excess water from the upland areas which the ground can no longer absorb, aggravating urban flooding, OCD 10 spokesperson Mabel Galvez said.

Bitan-ag Creek originates from Indahag, an upland village, passing through Camaman-an, Barangay 35 and Barangay Lapasan (across Limketkai Center) before it touches the coastal waters of Macajalar Bay.

Personnel from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department (CDRRMD), with teams from urban search and rescue (USAR), Bureau of Fire Protection and the Task Force Oro responded.

A health emergency response team (HERT) from the City Health Office also distributed leptospirosis prophylaxis to all evacuees of Zones 6, 7, 8, 9 and 12 of Bulua and Camaman-an. Seven units of sanitary toilets were also set up.

Online posts of the CDRRMD indicated that roads it declared not passable for all types of vehicles between 4:50 pm to 5:45 pm were Mandumol Road of Macasandig; Kauswagan-Tejero Crossing; Limketkai Drive, Lapasan; Bolonsiri Road, Camaman-an; Pinikitan Road, Camaman-an; J.R. Borja Extension, Camaman-an; Kauswagan National Highway; and C.M. Recto and Sergio Osmeńa Street and Extension.

All of these areas were passable to all vehicles after an hour or two, except that Rosario Limketkai Avenue and Kauswagan Highway, both past 8 pm and C.M. Recto-Sergio Osmeńa Extension where floodwaters subsided past 3 am the next day, June 11. [Uriel Quilinguing/MT]

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