Heavy monsoon rains on Thursday, July 23, caused flash floods in Barangay Yati, Liloan, forcing 25 families (113 individuals) to evacuate before safely returning home Friday morning.
Flooding also hit Consolacion, where the overflowing Laray River prompted responders to transport stranded high school students, while several northern Cebu municipalities suspended classes.
Pagasa recorded 215.7 millimeters of rainfall at its Mactan station during the downpour, prompting disaster officials to urge residents to strictly adhere to local evacuation advisories.
AT LEAST 25 families were forced to evacuate after flash floods inundated parts of Barangay Yati in Liloan town on Thursday night, July 23, as heavy rains brought by the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat) swept across northern Cebu.
The affected families, comprising about 113 individuals, sought temporary shelter at Yati Elementary School before floodwaters subsided. They returned to their homes Friday morning, July 24, according to the Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO).
PDRRMO Head Dennis Pastor said persistent rains that began earlier in the week intensified Thursday afternoon and evening, causing knee- to waist-deep flooding in Sitio Kamansi and Sitio Kurva in Barangay Yati.
“The flooding in Barangay Yati was managed well by the local MDRRMO,” Pastor said.
“The evacuated residents were able to return to their homes Friday morning,” he added.
No injuries or fatalities were immediately reported.
Flooding in Consolacion
Heavy rainfall also caused the Laray River to overflow in neighboring Consolacion on Thursday evening, prompting local responders to clear debris clogging the waterway to improve water flow.
The municipal Public Information Office said emergency responders also deployed vehicles to transport stranded students from Nangka National High School and Consolacion National High School–Laray Extension to safer areas.
Authorities temporarily closed the intersection leading to Laray because of rising floodwaters.
Class suspensions
The severe weather also disrupted classes across northern Cebu.
Classes were suspended Thursday in the island municipalities of Bantayan, Madridejos and Santa Fe. Bantayan and Madridejos extended the suspension through Friday because of persistent heavy rains.
Torrential rainfall
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) recorded 215.7 millimeters of rainfall at its Mactan weather station during the downpour, equivalent to about 215,700 drums of water falling on every square kilometer, according to Pagasa Visayas weather specialist Manny John Agbay.
Agbay said the rainfall was intermittent, with periods of intense downpours followed by lighter showers.
He said rains was the strongest around 5 p.m. Thursday and continued until around 2 a.m. Friday before tapering off.
Agbay added that rainfall totals may have been even higher in Cebu City and Talisay because the rains developed earlier over southern Cebu before moving north toward Mactan.
Pastor urged residents to continue monitoring Pagasa weather bulletins and immediately follow evacuation advisories issued by local government units during periods of severe weather.
“We advise the public to adhere strictly to early warnings and evacuation advisories issued by their municipal and city mayors and disaster management offices,” Pastor said. / CDF