BUTUAN CITY -- Authorities issued code red or flood alert level 3 along riverside communities here after water level at the Agusan River reached 3.07 meters Friday morning, March 10, and flooded seven villages, prompting several families to flee their homes.
“Even without rain, as of 2 p.m., flood alert warning level 3 has been issued prompting several residents to evacuate after waters from the Agusan River overflowed to several parts of barangay (villages) Buhangin, Baan Riverside, Bading, Golden Ribbon, Mahogany, Maug and Obrero. The flooding is caused by the rise of the Agusan River after waters from Agusan del Sur started flowing down here in Butuan City towards Butuan Bay,” Benjamin Paolo Gogo, officer-in-charge of Butuan City Public Information Office, said.
Gogo pointed out that the evacuations of residents are not yet compulsory.
“Forced evacuation has not yet been ordered since we haven’t experienced heavy rainfall since this morning, but we are on alert and on standby, our search and rescue units are ready in case their services will be needed,” Gogo said.
The City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office said that around 303 families have been evacuated to the different evacuation centers near affected villages.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration issued a general flood warning to Caraga Region on Friday after a 12-hour rainfall of moderate to occasional heavy rain brought in by the tail-end of a cold front affecting Visayas and Mindanao was forecasted.
The weather report warned that waterways will be affected by the rainfall.
In Agusan del Sur, the river systems and its tributaries that will be affected are Ojoy, Wawa, Libang, Maosam, Kasilan, Gibong, Aagaoan, Sinulao, Kayonan and Aandanan.
In Agusan del Norte, the rivers and tributaries particularly from Lake Mainit-Tubay, Asiga, Agusan, Linugos and Cabadbaran will be affected.
The provinces of Surigao del Sur and Surigao del Norte were also warned with the effects of flooding in their areas.
Junie Cabiling, 62, a driver in Purok 2, Buhangin village expressed his concern on the sudden flooding in their area.
“It’s just barely a month since the January and February flooding, now we are again about to evacuate. In my recollection, this is the first time that a flooding occurred here in March, it is supposed to be summer already. I have no choice but to evacuate if in case the situation would get worse since I have five children and the youngest is five years old, I don’t want my family to be at risk,” Cabiling, who evacuated last January 28 at the pilot evacuation center in Bancasi village, said.
As of 4 p.m., around 66 families or 275 individuals have been evacuated in the pilot evacuation center in Bancasi.
The local government unit has acknowledged that they lack adequate water supply for the evacuation center.
“We have allocated two water tankers, to provide water rations to the evacuation areas in barangay Bading, Obrero, Golden Ribbon and the pilot evac center. In the relief good distributed to the families, we have also allocated potable drinking water for them to get their drinking water,” Gogo said.
Last January 31, the City Government issued a state of calamity after floodwaters affected 22 villages along Agusan River bank and its tributaries stretching flood in some areas for nearly three weeks.
Flood damage cost totaled to P9.680 million in infrastructure, P16.443 million for the agricultural sector and P4.825 million in fisheries.