PAGASA: Flash floods, landslides threaten Bicol, EVisayas anew

Flash floods and landslides loom anew over Bicol and Eastern Visayas due to the diffused tail-end of a cold front, state weather forecasters warned Tuesday. The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) also said the northeast monsoon still prevails over Northern and Central Luzon. "Southern Luzon and Visayas will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms becoming cloudy with widespread rains over Bicol region, including Quezon province and Eastern Visayas, which may trigger flash floods and landslides," it said in its 5 a.m. bulletin. It said the rest of Luzon will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated light rains. Mindanao will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers and thunderstorms, it added. Albay evacuees get free treatment Residents evacuated from their homes in Albay province are to get free medical treatment at a major government hospital there while they are in evacuation centers. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Monday night the free treatment will be at the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital in Legazpi City. “All bonafide evacuees shall be treated for free at the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital (BRTTH) during their stay at the evacuation center. The same No Excess or No Cash Out Policy shall be enforced at the provincial hospitals," the NDRRMC said in its 6 p.m. update. Albay Governor Jose Salceda had ordered the preemptive evacuation of residents in flood- and landslide-prone areas. The province's 22 evacuation centers remain open and are still serving 1,371 families or 6,016 people in Daraga, Malilipot, Manito, Sto. Domingo and Legazpi City. Floods and landslides caused by heavy rains in past days had pummeled Bicol, Eastern Visayas and parts of Mindanao. The NDRRMC said the death toll remained at 33, with eight injured and seven still missing. At least 213,264 families or 1,120,685 people in 1,073 villages in 124 towns and 10 cities in 21 provinces had been affected. Estimated damage to property was at P752.270 million, including P158.902 million in agriculture and P593.337 million in infrastructure. Road conditions In Northern Samar, the Catarman-Calbayog Road, Catarman, Macagtas Section (Brgy. Washington) is not passable to all types of vehicles due to collapsed 75-meter-long roadway. Construction of a detour road is ongoing. In Samar, the Wright-Taft-Borongan Road, Lokilokon-Caughayanan Section, Km 836+700 to 839+000, is not passable to all types of vehicles due to flooding of the roadway up to 10 feet high. District maintenance Engineers and crew are on site waiting for the floodwaters to subside. In Eastern Samar, the Wright-Taft-Borongan Road, Camp 5 Borongan Section, Km 866+941 Flooded roadway at Brgy. Malinao, Km 887+878; Landslide at Km 883+500 & at Km 887+400, damaged slope protection at Borongan Bridge, Km 936+100 & Can-obing Bridge, Km. 940+365 are not passable to all types of vehicles due to overflow of flood water at Lumatod Bridge, Km. 866+941. Clearing by District Maintenance crew is ongoing while the temporary installation of I-beams to both approaches at Can-Obing is completed. — LBG, GMANews.TV