Thousands of Negrenses were displaced again due to flash floods following a heavy downpour Friday, January 8.

This came a week after flash floods have ravaged 4 localities – the cities of Talisay, Silay, and Victorias, and EB Magalona town – in the 3rd District of Negros Occidental during the New Year.

The local governments of Talisay, Victorias, and Silay have already declared a state of calamity this week following the New Year’s flooding.

But around midnight of Saturday, January 9, calls for help have flooded social media as waters have surged in some parts of the province, leaving residents displaced.

Affected local government units, along with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), quickly mounted rescue and evacuation operations.

PCG photo

Philippine Coast Guard-Negros Occidental commander Ludovico Librilla said they deployed 3 teams, comprising of 15 personnel, to Talisay City for search and rescue operations.

As of noontime Saturday, January 9, around 2,946 families, or 13,588 affected individuals, from 15 barangays were evacuated in Talisay City, with 13 destroyed houses and 50 others damaged.

Over at neighboring Victorias City, based on the initial report, around 1,197, or 5,985 persons, were evacuated. A police camp located at this locality was also hit by the flood.

In Silay City, around 224 families, or 824 persons, have fled their homes to stay at the temporary shelters in the locality.

Floods also hit the cities of Cadiz, Sagay, and Escalante, and EB Magalona town.

Based on the initial report, 6 barangays in Sagay were affected by floods, while in Escalante City, a family, composed of two senior citizens, two adults, and a seven-year-old boy, were rescued by the disaster team after they were trapped.

Families were also rescued in Cadiz City.

Meanwhile, some areas of the province’s capital city, Bacolod, were also hit by floods on Friday. – Rappler.com