A HEAVY downpour that lasted for two hours triggered floods in some areas in Davao City Wednesday night and displaced at least 371 families.
The rain also stranded hundreds of commuters and stalled some motorists along city streets as water rose chest-deep. Several schools also suspended classes as a result of the flooding.
No one was reported hurt as some affected residents were evacuated to safer grounds by rescue teams.
City Social Services and Development Office (CSSDO) chief Maria Luisa Bermudo said that as of 10:35 a.m., some 97 affected families, composed of 479 individuals, were temporarily evacuated in different shelters.
Bermudo said 67 families from Purok San Isidro, Arroyo, Lastina, and Guadalupe in Matina Crossing were brought to Central Park, and another 30 families from Purok 3 and 6 in Barangay Tugbok Proper were evacuated to a temporary shelter inside a gym after the Pangi and Talomo rivers overflowed.
She said a house in San Isidro, Matina Crossing was destroyed.
Hard-hit by the flooding was Barangay Talomo, with 149 families affected, while there were 85 families affected in Barangay Ma-a. In Matina Pangi, 70 families were affected.
Office Civil of Defense (OCD)-Davao Director General Loreto Rirao said the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Centers (BDRRMC) in Matina, Talomo and Ma-a, in coordination with the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Center (CDRRMC), conducted pre-emptive evacuation to the affected areas.
"The evacuees were taken to the different barangay halls and gymnasiums. Evacuees, however, returned to their homes after the flood waters subsided around 3 a.m. yesterday (Wednesday)," Rirao said.
He said they are now coordinating with the CSSDO to identify the estimated cost of damages. CSSDO is also set to distribute assorted relief goods for the affected families.
As of 10 a.m. Thursday, all the affected residents were served hot meals by the CSSDO, according to Bermudo.
"What we did was preemptive evacuation lang kay para maiwasan ang mga incident na nahitabo last June 2011 and January 2013," she said.
She added that the residents were the same people who were affected of the killer flashflood in June 2011.
The heavy rain started around 8 p.m. Wednesday and caused several areas in the city to go under water.
The flooding also caused water interruption and power outage in the southern part of the city.
Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said the areas affected were Purok 1 Los Amigos, Sangilanan, NHA Ma-a, Arroyo Compound, Lastima, Guadalupe Village in Matina Crossing, Pangi, Bajada, Obrer, Taal, Matutum Street, Conception, and NHA Bangkal.
Other flooded areas were Ecoland Phase 2, 4 and 7, SM area and Quimpo Blvd., R. Castillo, Bankerohan, near Magsaysay Park, Marfori and Matina highway.
Pangi and Talomo rivers overflowed around 11 p.m., causing evacuation of the some residents along the riverbanks. The water level of Davao River also rose slightly.
Water level in rivers that earlier overflowed subsided around 2 a.m. Thursday.
The Davao Light and Power Company, in its advisory around 9 p.m. Wednesday, said the power outage was due to heavy rains and after “an Anahaw tree touched wires fronting GSIS Matina and leaning 69kv pole in Mintal near INC Church.”
Affected areas are Ecoland to Puan going to Mintal, including Catalunan Grande, portion of Anggalan, Bankerohan and Bolton.
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa)-Davao chief Gerry Pedrico said an intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) caused the heavy rains that flooded some areas in the city Wednesday night.
In an advisory of the Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (DCDRRMC), among those flooded areas are S.I.R Matina, Ecoland Phase 2, 4 and 7, SM area and Quimpo Boulevard, R. Castillo, Bankerohan, Magsaysay Park, Marfori, Matina, Matina Pangi, Bangkal and Ma-a.
Dante C. Donaire, DCDRRMC operation officer, said in a phone interview that normal rains started around 5 p.m. but the heavy downpour began around 8 p.m., leaving some residential and major roads submerged and several passengers stranded.
Donaire denied reports that the Davao River overflowed. He said only the Balusong River and Talomo River overflowed, prompting the affected residents to conduct a pre-emptive evacuation.
"The rescuers conducted immediate preemptive security measures. Other rivers in the city are being monitored and such constant rains in the uplands have been noted," he said.
He also said that around 2 a.m., the water subsides and some residents went home, though others in Arroyo Compound in Matina Pangi returned to their houses around 6 a.m. as water has not yet subsided.
Princess Banggayan, a resident of Matina Pangi, said they did not have electricity as of 3 p.m. as some streets are still flooded.
Meanwhile, as of 8 a.m. Thursday, Pagasa spotted a low pressure area (LPA) at 580 kilometers east of Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur embedded along the ITCZ.
The weather bureau said the LPA will affect Bicol Region, Visayas and Mindanao.
It said the whole of Mindanao will experience cloudy skies with moderate to heavy rains and thunderstorms, which may trigger flashflood and landslides. Pagasa warned residents to take all the necessary precautionary measures.
"Pero 50 percent pa ang chance na madevelop siya into a typhoon. Fifty percent pud ang chance nga pwede pa mahilis ang LPA," said Pagasa Davao chief Gerry Pedrico. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)