PAMPANGA, Philippines – Over 1,300 families from 101 villages in 17 towns across Cagayan province sought temporary shelter in evacuation centers on Thursday, October 24, due to Severe Tropical Storm Kristine, according to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (PDRRMC).
The Cagayan PDRRMC said a total of 3,698 individuals or 1,286 families were relocated to the evacuation centers due to floods amid nonstop heavy downpour that overflowed rivers.
(READ: Severe Tropical Storm Kristine: Track, wind signals, rainfall warnings, rescue, relief efforts)
In Tuguegarao City, a total of 114 families or 445 individuals have been relocated to 12 evacuation centers, according to the local government of Tuguegarao.
Based on the latest data as of 11 am, 320 hectares of unharvested rice and an estimated 2,900 hectares of harvested corn were reportedly damaged.
The water level at Buntun bridge has reached 9.2 meters, exceeding warning level of 8 and approaching critical mark of 11 meters.
Tuguegarao City Mayor Maila Ting Que, in her livestream video via Facebook, said that the most at-risk communities, particularly those along the riverside, including Balsain, Tulayan, and Annafunan, are being forced to evacuate.
The mayor also announced plans to call a special session to declare a state of calamity in their city to provide assistance to farmers.
“Most hazardous communities will be forced to evacuate. Mauuna yan, always riverside papuntang Balsain, Tulayan, Annafunan, yun ang mga most affected areas and barangays,” Que said.
“Nakahanda na ang mga sasakyan to evacuate. We will call a special session to declare a state of calamity especially to our farmers. Tutulungan natin ang mga farmers natin,” Que added.
(Most hazardous communities will be forced to evacuate. That will come first, always riverside to Balsain, Tulayan, Annafunan, those are the most affected areas and village.
(The vehicles are ready to evacuate. We will call a special session to declare a state of calamity especially to our farmers. We will help our farmers). – Rappler.com