CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – As severe Tropical Storm Vinta made a landfall in Davao Oriental early Friday morning, hundreds of families residing in flood-prone areas here left their homes and sought shelter in the city’s evacuation centers.
As of Friday morning, the City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) said around 503 families or 1,719 individuals have been evacuated and are staying at 27 evacuation centers due to the rising water level in the Cagayan de Oro and Iponan rivers.
The flood waters caused by the heavy rains in Bukidnon inundated the waterways and villages, where flooding brought by past weather disturbances such as Sendong and Pablo, once flowed through.
At least three bridges here were closed off to vehicular traffic after the water level of Cagayan de Oro river continued to rise Friday morning.
The city government declared “code red” Thursday, forcing residents to leave their homes and seek evacuation shelters in their respective villages.
The rising floodwaters inundated the facilities of the Cagayan de Oro Water District, prompting the utility to shut down several of its production wells in barangays Macasandig and Balulang. The two villages badly hit by Sendong in 2011.
The shutdown of these pumping stations, the COWD said in a statement, “is necessary to avoid contamination of water supply to safeguard public health.”
The COWD also advised its customers to store water while it remains available.
“Do not forget to include water in your emergency kits, ideally one gallon of water per person for three days. COWD shall be providing regular water supply advisories and updates,” the company said. (Jigger J. Jerusalem/PNA)
