Flash floods hit aurora, 111 families evacuated

At least 111 families were evacuated over the weekend as flash floods, caused by heavy rains, hit parts of Aurora province in Central Luzon. Aurora Gov. Bella Castillo 70 families or 155 people, have returned to their homes early Monday following their forced evacuation. "Nagkaroon kami ng forced evacuation sa bayan ng Dingalan. Lahat sila nakabalik na (We conducted a forced evacuation in some areas of Dingalan. But they have returned to their homes)," she said in an interview on dzBB radio. The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said the flash floods hit Paltic village in Dingalan due to the heavy rains and strong winds brought about by an active low pressure area (ALPA). At least one house was reported to have been swept away by the floods. Meanwhile, the Army’s 48th Infantry Battalion rescued at least 27 families in Sitio Gabgab in Buhangin village in Baler, Quezon due to flash floods. Early Monday, weather forecasters said the ALPA intensified into a tropical cyclone that they codenamed “Caloy." However, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) announced the ALPA was already a tropical depression as early as Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, the NDCC said the death toll from tropical cyclone “Basyang" (Conson) remained at 68 as of 11 p.m. Sunday. At least 84 remained missing, 47 of them from Bicol, 30 from Southern Luzon, six from Central Luzon, and one from Western Visayas. Some 48,640 families or 241,651 people from 709 villages in 13 cities and 88 towns had been affected. At least 522 families or 2,671 people were still staying in 17 evacuation centers. “Basyang" destroyed 3,691 houses and damaged 27,822 others, the NDCC added. –VVP, GMANews.TV