BACOLOD City – The council members of Barangay 39 declared a state of calamity due to flooding brought on by inclement weather.
A total of 1,312 families composed of 4,520 individuals were displaced, data from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) as of July 26 showed.
According to Barangay 39 village chief Jude Salusada, 341 families with 1,117 individuals were from their barangay.
A state of calamity was declared to have the necessary budget to assist affected residents, said Salusada.
He added that five families of the barangay, whose houses were swept by the floodwaters, remained in the evacuation center.
CDRRMO head Maria Laarni Pornan said the flooding was caused by hours of heavy downpour.
The volume of rainwater that accumulated was equivalent to three days of raining, she added.
On July 27, Pornan said Mayor Alfred Abelardo Benitez met with Task Force Baha to devise effective solutions to combat flooding in various vulnerable areas in the city.
The following immediate action points were proposed:
* engineering solutions in existing flood-prone areas
* installation of early warning devices coordinated with the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration
* clearing of obstructions along waterways for smoother water flow, reducing the risk of flooding in the city/PN
