TROPICAL Depression Verbena unleashed hours of heavy rain across southern Cebu on November 25, 2025, triggering flooding that left communities scrambling to recover.
In Carcar City, residents in Poblacion waded through knee-deep waters as streets turned into murky rivers. Knee deep floodwaters later surged into the Cebu Provincial Hospital, inundating the first floor and forcing staff to quickly move patients and equipment to higher areas.
Farther southwest in Barangay San Rafael, Barili, families worked through thick mud to salvage what remained of their belongings. A flash flood swept through the village after the Sta. Ana River violently overflowed, tearing through homes and leaving debris in its wake.
Photo by Juan Carlo de VelaIn the span of just a few hours, Verbena exposed the vulnerability of these low-lying and riverside communities -- submerging towns, disrupting services, and leaving residents once again cleaning up after nature’s sudden fury. (Juan Carlo de Vela)