Agaton: Over 3,000 families displaced

Karlos Manlupig

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(UPDATED) At least 46 villages are flooded in Butuan City, while the province of Dinagat Islands experiences massive power outage

SUBMERGED. Heavy rains caused by Tropical Depression Agaton brought flood waters submerging houses in Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, January 17, 2014. Photo by Erwin Mascarinas/AFP

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – (UPDATED) At least 46 villages are flooded in Butuan City, as Tropical Depression Agaton continued to move closer to Mindanao.

The Philippine Information Agency-Caraga on Saturday, January 18, said the flooding in Butuan City has displaced more or less 3,438 families with at least 13,752 individuals.

The Butuan City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office recorded at least 1,470 families in the affected villages who have not yet evacuated, the PIA added.

As of Saturday morning, 2,000 food packs were distributed in several evacuation centers while repacking continues to augment the supply.

Several parts of the province of Agusan del Norte is experiencing light to moderate rains while families residing in low-lying areas were already evacuated to identified evacuation centers.

PIA-Caraga said that as of Saturday morning cancelled flights due to bad weather included Philippine Airlines/PAL Express 2P-967 MNL-Butuan-MNL; Cebu Pacific 5J-785/5J-786 MNL-Butuan-MNL and 5J-220/5J-219.

Diinagat power outage

Meanwhile, the province of Dinagat Islands is experiencing massive power outage since Friday evening, January 17, due to the heavy rains and strong winds.

Dinagat Islands PDRRMC chair governor Glenda Ecleo earlier declared the entire province of Dinagat Islands under “Imminent Danger & Heightened Alert” and has imposed forced evacuation in high risk areas to ensure the safety of the residents from landslides, flash floods and storm surges.

Classes in all levels and work in provincial and municipal offices were also suspended in the entire province since Friday.

Around around 1,091 families sought shelter in evacuation centers in Dinagat Islands, as of 9am. According to PIA Caraga, a piece of road collapsed along Bolod Bolod, Libjo. Minor landslides occured in Doña Helene, Basilisa. All roads from San Jose going north are impassable.

In Siargao Island, classes in all levels were also suspended by the provincial government unit.

All sea travel in the ports of Surigao del Norte and Dinagat Islands were also suspended by the Philippine Coast Guard-Surigao Norte Station.

The PIA-Caraga said at least 22 passengers bound for Cebu City and Dapa, Siargao Island were stranded at the Surigao City Port Terminal, while 474 passengers and 35 vehicles bound for Leyte were also stranded at the Lipata Port in Surigao City.

All fishermen in Dinagat Islands, Surigao del Norte, and the Davao region have been advised not to venture out to sea.

Agaton will make landfall long the Surigao del Norte and Surigao del Sur border Saturday evening, according to Weather Philippines. The tropical depression will then move along the provinces of Agusan del Norte and the eastern part of Misamis Oriental Sunday evening, January 19.  

By early morning Monday, January 20, Agaton is expected to be over Northern Bukidnon. –Rappler.com


Help report critical information such as flooding, road or building damage, or those who need rescue or assistance using the Project Agos disaster information map. Rappler’s MovePH team will monitor the map and alert the relevant local authorities.

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