THE torrential rain experienced in Metro Cebu Tuesday night, October 13, has displaced a total of 163 families in Mandaue City after heavy flooding occurred in six of the city's barangays, particularly those who are near the Butuanon River.
Felix Suico, operations head of the Mandaue City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MCDRRMO), said among the heavily affected areas by the flooding are barangays Canduman, Casuntingan, Tingub, Tabok, Paknaan and Umapad.
He said even until Wednesday morning, there are still areas that are still flooded, like the 6.5 Relocation Site in Barangay Paknaan.
"In our observation, it was really a heavy downpour because the Butuanon River has overflowed. In (Sitio) Laray (in Barangay Umapad) the water is nick high, and I am 5'7"," Suico said.
Al Quiblat, chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa)-Mactan Station, said though their radar in Mactan recorded only three millimeters (mm) of rainfall on Tuesday night, the Automatic Raingauge of the Department of Science and Technology in Ecotech in Barangay Lahug, Cebu City, recorded a total of 81 mm of rainfall, which is equivalent to a total of 405,000 barrels or drums of rain per square kilometer area (as every one mm of rainfall is equal to 5,000 barrels of rain per square kilometer area.)
Tuesday's rain was bought by Tropical Depression Ofel, which made its first landfall in Can-avid, Eastern Samar at 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, October 14, said Pagasa.
At 3 a.m., Ofel was estimated to be in the vicinity of Maslog, Eastern Samar, with maximum sustained winds of 45 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center. It was moving west-northwestward at 20 kph and was tracked in Bobon, Northern Samar at 4 a.m. Wednesday.
Moderate to heavy rains are expected to prevail over the entire Eastern Visayas region Wednesday, as well as in Bicol, Marinduque, Romblon, Quezon, Batangas, and Mindoro provinces.
Light to moderate with at times heavy rains will also be experienced over Metro Manila, Aurora, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, and the rest of Calabarzon due to Ofel and over most of Mindanao due to the southwest monsoon. (WBS)