Rescue efforts scrambled as floods swamp Cagayan de Oro City
Scene of flashflooding in Cagayan de Oro City. Photographed by Nefoi Luczon.
Butuan City – Emergency services and rescue units scrambled to action as flood waters swiftly rose and swamped major roads in Cagayan de Oro City and its low lying areas after heavy downpour throughout the afternoon until the evening of Monday, January 16, 2016.
Liza Mazo, regional director of the Office of the Civil Defense in Region 10 pointed out that, as of Monday evening, first responders and emergency service units were all in full alert and initial rescue operations have been launched.
“Earlier we sent out the advisory that there would be possible flooding due to thunderstorms, which were later aggravated by the Low Pressure Area and the tail end of the cold front. Suddenly, heavy rain poured on Cagayan de Oro City and nearby areas and, by 4:00 in the afternoon, we started receiving reports of flooding from parts of Barangay Carmen and then Camaman-an.
“As of 7:00 in the evening we have reports from seven barangays that many parts of had been flooded,” said Mazo.
She explained that, in the face of the calls for assistance, several of the rescue units were having a hard time reaching some areas as the floodwaters were affected by strong current flows.
“At 00 in the evening, there were reports that the flood levels were between 5 and 6 feet deep in parts of Barangay Gusa and other low lying areas. We are still validating several more report that are coming in and we hope that there will be no casualties,” she said.
At 8:30 p.m., Maricel Casino-Rivera, head of the city information office, posted on her Facebook account: “Preemptive evacuation na! Tanan nga naa sa daplin sa mga suba, dagat ug creeks giawhag nga mo-evacuate na kay basi sa monitoring sa CDRRMC, misaka na ang level sa tubig. Pls pass to everyone.”
“Rescue operations now ongoing, we have deployed all our rescue vehicles assisted by the Philippine National Police, Army, CoastGuard and Red Cross. But the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC) needs more big trucks. They would appreciate volunteers. If you have big trucks that we can use, please send them at the CDRRMC command center at City Hall for deployment,” said Rivera.
Several of the schools in the city were caught off guard as the sudden rise of flood waters trapped hundreds of students in the school grounds.
“The heavy rain poured at around 3:00 in the afternoon, by 4:30 the water started to flood the school campus ground and by 5:43 waters was as high as our hips and around 30 vehicles inside the campus submerged. It’s now I’ve managed to get out of the school and stayed here on the mall infront of the school while waiting for rescue to arrive as there are some 500 students and school staff trapped inside the campus ground and still waiting for rescuer to arrive,” Nefoi Luczon, professor of the Department of Technology Communication Management and a freelance columnist with Sunstar Newspaper in Cagayan de Oro City.
The CIO posted on the social media that as of 6:00 in the evening, these are the areas in the city impassable by vehicles:
Liza Mazo, regional director of the Office of the Civil Defense in Region 10 pointed out that, as of Monday evening, first responders and emergency service units were all in full alert and initial rescue operations have been launched.
“Earlier we sent out the advisory that there would be possible flooding due to thunderstorms, which were later aggravated by the Low Pressure Area and the tail end of the cold front. Suddenly, heavy rain poured on Cagayan de Oro City and nearby areas and, by 4:00 in the afternoon, we started receiving reports of flooding from parts of Barangay Carmen and then Camaman-an.
“As of 7:00 in the evening we have reports from seven barangays that many parts of had been flooded,” said Mazo.
She explained that, in the face of the calls for assistance, several of the rescue units were having a hard time reaching some areas as the floodwaters were affected by strong current flows.
“At 00 in the evening, there were reports that the flood levels were between 5 and 6 feet deep in parts of Barangay Gusa and other low lying areas. We are still validating several more report that are coming in and we hope that there will be no casualties,” she said.
At 8:30 p.m., Maricel Casino-Rivera, head of the city information office, posted on her Facebook account: “Preemptive evacuation na! Tanan nga naa sa daplin sa mga suba, dagat ug creeks giawhag nga mo-evacuate na kay basi sa monitoring sa CDRRMC, misaka na ang level sa tubig. Pls pass to everyone.”
“Rescue operations now ongoing, we have deployed all our rescue vehicles assisted by the Philippine National Police, Army, CoastGuard and Red Cross. But the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (CDRRMC) needs more big trucks. They would appreciate volunteers. If you have big trucks that we can use, please send them at the CDRRMC command center at City Hall for deployment,” said Rivera.
Several of the schools in the city were caught off guard as the sudden rise of flood waters trapped hundreds of students in the school grounds.
“The heavy rain poured at around 3:00 in the afternoon, by 4:30 the water started to flood the school campus ground and by 5:43 waters was as high as our hips and around 30 vehicles inside the campus submerged. It’s now I’ve managed to get out of the school and stayed here on the mall infront of the school while waiting for rescue to arrive as there are some 500 students and school staff trapped inside the campus ground and still waiting for rescuer to arrive,” Nefoi Luczon, professor of the Department of Technology Communication Management and a freelance columnist with Sunstar Newspaper in Cagayan de Oro City.
The CIO posted on the social media that as of 6:00 in the evening, these are the areas in the city impassable by vehicles:
- Limketkai area and CM Recto
- Villarin Street
- JV Serina street
- Gumamela Extension
- Gaabucayan Osmena
- Camaman-an Elementary School
- Pryce Plaza
- Barangay Patag Sto Ninño zone 7
- Barangay Agusan
- Barangay Macanhan
- Zayas Muco
- Star Gasoline station from Balongis to Balulang
- Paglaum in Barnagay Camaman-an
- Osmena Street in Cogon
ALL PHOTOGRAPHS BY NEFOI LUCZON
## (By: Erwin M. Mascariñas, InterAksyon)
