Heavy rains flood 2 Bicol provinces

LEGAZPI CITY – Heavy rains spawned by the tail-end of the cold front have caused flooding in Camarines Norte as well as flooding and landslide in the island province of Catanduanes.

Heavy rains caused the Labo and Busignon Rivers in Camarines Norte to overflow flooding 11 barangays and causing the evacuation of Barangays Malibago, Gumamela, Anahaw, Bagacay and Sta. Ruz, the Office of Civil Defense said in a report yesterday.

Some 60 families were evacuated in the five barangays and others are staying at private homes, said Raffy Alejandro, OCD regional director for Bicol.

The flashfloods also rendered the Namukanan bridges in Barangay Daguit as well at Macogon and Mataganki detour bridges unpassable to all types of vehicles.

Alejandro said that two provincial roads between Fundado and Bagacay as well as between Talobatib and Pagada are still not passable.

As a result, the provincial government of Camarines Norte has declared classes at the Camarines Norte College, St. John the Apostle Academy, Labo National High School, Fundado Elementary School, Malibago Elementary School and Obmana Elementary School suspended.

In Catanduanes some 13,474 families or roughly 69,607 persons were affected by heavy rains which triggered flashloods and landslides in the island province facing the Pacific Ocean.

Alejandro said 139 barangays in the towns of Bagamanoc, Baras, Bato, Caramoran, Gigmoto, Pandan, Panganiban, San Andres, San Miguel, Viga and Virac were reported affected by the inclement weather.              – Celso Amo