CDRRMCand Extra strong rainfall triggers Kidapawan flash floods
Breaking News • 15:34 PM Sat Sep 13, 2014
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By:
Neriza Espino, NDBC Kidapawan
Photo by Bong Pinol
KIDAPAWAN CITY (Sept. 13/NDBC) –
Disaster officials here said the flash floods that hit this city’s eight
villages was due to heavy amount of rainfall Thursday night.
We are convinced the amount of
rain was the real cause of the overflowing of Nuangan river,” Psalmer Bernalte,
city disaster officer, told DXND Radyo Bida Kidapawan in Filipino.
Bernalte explained that the amount
of rainfall on Thursday night in the city reached 40 mm per hour per rain gauge
of the city disaster office.
That was extra strong rain,” he
said.
Bernalte said yesterdaymorning's rain was
dangerous since the city disaster team monitored 70 mm rainfall, althoughthe down pourdid not
last long.
Had it lasted for more than an
hour, it would have resulted to catastrophic floods,” Bernalte added.
He explained that in monitoring
rainfall, signal No. 1 is raised when rainfall is measured at 13 mm per
hour. Dangerous flood category if
rainfall reaches 20 mm per hour and emergent floods if it reaches 40 mm,
depending how long the rains would be.
Thirteen houses were totally
damaged and 14 others partially destroyed when rampaging waters cascaded from
Nuangan river toward the Kidapawan City Poblacion Thursday night after hours of
heavy downpour.
Most of the flood victims were caught
unprepared thinking it was just an ordinary rainy evening that would not result
to floods.
About 306 families were affected in
eight barangays and the number is rising as validation is still going on,
Bernalte said.
Mayor Joseph Evangelista has
directed force evacuation Friday to residents living near or beside Nuangan
river and along creeks and huge canals criss-crossing the city.
This is to
save lives and properties,” he said Friday.Bernalte said Mayor Evangelista is
asking the city council to declare the city under state of calamity so the LGU
could use its calamity fund in attending to the needs of affected families.
Residents are also reminded to
avoid throwing garbage along city creeks and canals to prevent clogging of water
flow.
After the flash floods, residents
discovered plastic containers, cellophanes and other non-biodegradable
materials in their midst, an indication the city canals were loaded with
garbage. (NDBC)