Twenty families in Barangay Bitan-agan in Butuan City have lost their homes after these were washed away by flooding, as Tropical Depression Verbena continues to bring heavy rains across the Northern Mindanao and Caraga regions.
Floodwaters also forced the evacuation of 115 families, or 440 individuals, in at least six barangays in Butuan City, according to a report by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department (CDRRMD).
Those evacuated were from the villages of Bonbon, Amparo, Bit-os, Ambago, Bitan-agan, and Bancasi. The displaced families are currently staying in evacuation centers set up by their respective local government units.
CDRRMD personnel, along with barangay disaster teams, are assisting displaced residents and monitoring weather and flood-prone zones for possible preemptive evacuation.
Following a coordination meeting on Sunday afternoon, the city was placed under blue alert status as of 4 p.m. on Monday.
Officials said work in government offices and classes in all schools may resume if weather conditions stabilize and no new rainfall advisory is issued by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).
So far, the City Social Welfare and Development Department (CSWDD) has provided relief goods to 161 affected families in Butuan City.
In Bayabas, Surigao del Sur, before Verbena made landfall, Mayor Apolonio B. Lozada convened a pre-Disaster Risk Assessment (PDRA) meeting with the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council and all barangay chiefs to ensure readiness and coordinated response across communities.
‘We must mobilize all barangays now and ensure families in landslide- and flood-prone zones are evacuated early. Waiting until the storm hits makes our response much harder,’ Lozada said