FLOODED. Most areas in Tandag City in Surigao del Sur were hit by flood Sunday (Feb. 21, 2021) due to heavy rains caused by Tropical Storm Auring. Col. James Goforth, director of Surigao del Sur Police Provincial Office, said about 9,552 families or 30,650 individuals were already rescued and evacuated from the different towns and cities in the province since Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Gov. Alexander T. Pimentel)
BUTUAN CITY – Thousands of distressed residents were rescued Sunday morning as floods hit different parts of Surigao del Sur due to heavy rains caused by Tropical Storm Auring.
Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal (TCWS) No. 2 was already raised in the provinces of Dinagat Islands and Surigao del Norte, including the islands of Siargao and Bucas Grande.
TCWS No. 1 was also declared over Surigao del Sur, Agusan del Norte, and Agusan del Sur.
“Auring” is expected to make landfall Sunday evening or early Monday in the areas of Dinagat in Caraga and Homonhon-Leyte areas in the Visayas, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said
In Tandag City, authorities are conducting massive evacuation operations in different barangays as floodwaters started to engulf the area Sunday.
Surigao del Sur Gov. Alexander Pimentel said rescue efforts are being made by the different disaster response teams to help distressed residents amid flooding.
“The public is advised to coordinate with local authorities in line with the government-mandated evacuation orders and other emergency instructions,” Pimentel said in a statement Sunday.
Col. James Goforth, director of Surigao del Sur Police Provincial Office (SDSPPO), said about 9,552 families or 30,650 individuals were already rescued and evacuated from the different towns and cities in the province since Saturday.
The count, he said, is still initial as of 12 noon on Sunday as evacuation and rescue operations continue.
“Police personnel from the different stations in the municipalities are working with the MDRRMOs (municipal disaster risk reduction and management office) and the LGUs (local government unit) in the rescue efforts,” Goforth told Philippine News Agency Sunday.
He said 183 police personnel in the area are currently deployed in different towns to help in the evacuation and rescue efforts of the LGUs, while 40 personnel are now assigned in various evacuation centers in Surigao del Sur.
Another team of 32 police personnel are assigned to conduct patrols in communities already abandoned by residents.
Meanwhile, the 3rd Special Forces Battalion (3SFBn) of the Army said the unit provided support to evacuation and rescue operations in the different towns of Surigao del Sur and Agusan del Sur since Saturday afternoon.
1Lt. Krisjuper Andreo Punsalan said 347 families were successfully evacuated on Saturday evening from 10 barangays in Marihatag, Surigao del Sur.
He said 1,439 families from seven barangays in Barobo, Surigao del Sur were also evacuated on Sunday.
Flooding and evacuation were also reported in other towns in Surigao del Sur, particularly in Cagwait, Bayabas, San Agustin, Carmen, Madrid, Cantilan, Cortes, Carrascal, and Lanuza.
Authorities are also monitoring the water level of the National Irrigation Administration dam in the town of San Miguel as it is nearing its critical level on Sunday due to continuous rain.
The disaster response units in the different municipalities in Surigao del Sur were activated since Friday afternoon in preparation for the onslaught of Auring.
In Agusan del Sur, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) and the respective MDRRMOs in the towns of Prosperidad, San Francisco, Rosario and Bunawan are closely watching the major river systems as rains continue to affect these areas due to Auring.
In Prosperidad town, the water level at Gibong Dam as of 11 a.m. Sunday was already near critical level and authorities advised residents in low-lying areas to evacuate their homes.
The water level in the Andanan River in Bayugan City is also nearing a critical level.
In Agusan del Norte, flooded areas were reported in the town of Jabonga and in Cabadbaran City.
A landslide was also reported at the national highway in Barangay Baleguian, Jabonga.
A total of 130 families or 303 individuals residing along the Agusan River, particularly in Barangay Agusan Pequeño in Butuan City, were also evacuated Sunday.
The city government said the barangay is already threatened by the continued increase of the water level of Agusan River as rains continue to affect the area due to Auring.
In the province of Dinagat Islands, the PDRRMO and the MDRRMOs are now bracing for the expected landfall of the storm in the area.
Gov. Arlene “Kaka” Bag-ao personally supervised the monitoring efforts of the PDRRMO emergency center in the province.
She also recognized the efforts of the different LGUs especially on the implementation of pre-emptive measures to ensure the safety of the residents in the area.
“We would like to thank the LGUs for continuously strengthening their respective pre-emptive evacuation strategies particularly in storm surge, landslide and flood-prone communities,” Bag-ao said.
The PDRRMO said a total of 1,210 individuals were already evacuated from disaster-prone areas in five municipalities in Dinagat Islands since Friday. (PNA)
