Floods hit some areas of Negros Occidental and Bacolod City as heavy rains brought on by Tropical Storm Dante poured Tuesday night, June 1.
Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson and Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia placed Negros Occidental and Bacolod City disaster teams on alert with the anticipated heavy rains.
Flooding and evacuation was reported in Isabela town, Tuesday night, Zeaphard Caelian, Provincial Disaster Management Program Division head, said.
There was also flooding in Victorias City, City Administrator Dino Acuña said.
Flooding was also reported in Purok Paghidaet, Barangay Tangub in Bacolod City, Executive Assistant Joemarie Vargas, cluster head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO), said.
Storm Signal No. 1 remained over Manapla, Cadiz City, Sagay City, Escalante City, Toboso, Victorias City and Calatrava at 8 p.m. Tuesday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported.
“Dante” was about to make landfall over the northern portion of Eastern Samar, it added.
Lacson directed all Disaster Risk Reduction Management Councils in Negros Occidental to place their operation centers on ”Blue Alert” by heightening preparedness versus flooding, flash floods, and landslides,
Leonardia also directed the Bacolod DRRRMO to monitor heavy rainfall and for key departments to be on alert. Those who need assistance may contact their barangay officials, the police or the Bacolod DRRMO at 09155670411, 09615938086 or 4466249, he said.
Sea travel to and from Negros was cancelled for most of Tuesday, June 1, as Storm Signal No. 1 was hoisted over Bacolod City and northern Negros Occidental at 11 a.m., Capt. Ludovico Librilla, Coast Guard Station Negros Occidental commander, said.
He said travel of all fastcraft and roll-on/roll-off ferry services from the areas under Signal No. 1 was suspended.
This resulted in 198 passengers, 113 rolling cargoes and 18 vessels stranded at the Bacolod, Escalante, Sagay and San Carlos ports at noon Tuesday, he said.
Also stranded at the BREDCO Port at 3:25 p.m. Tuesday were 129 passengers and 10 rolling cargoes bound for Manila, 31 passengers for Iloilo City, and 22 passengers and 10 rolling cargoes for Dumangas, he added.
Librilla said sea travel will resume to and from areas no longer under Signal No. 1.*
