Newsnomics AJAY ANGELINA reporter | “A Christmas Day floods in the Philippines forced the evacuation of nearly 46,000 people from their homes,” said civil defense officials on Monday.
The central and southern areas of Philippines have been hit with bad weather caused the disastrous flood to hit 110 million people travel to their hometowns for family reunions for the celebration of Christmas.
“The strong winds and big waves sank a fishing boat on Christmas Day off the coast of the central island of Leyte. Two crew members were killed, while six others were rescued,” said the coastguard .
Two deaths were reported in the town of Jimenez, whereas Two people were killed and nine others were missing after heavy seasonal rainfall in the southern region of Mindanao, the officials added. Most of them subsistence fishermen from the country's Pacific seaboard who put to sea despite rough conditions days before Christmas.
Gingoog City Administrator Enrique Guevarra said in a phone interview that “incessant rains on Dec. 24 caused floods which submerged 16 out of 79 barangays in waters up to four feet high, prompting local authorities to evacuate residents.”
The local government said 6,615 families or more than 33,000 individuals were affected by the floods.
According to the weather forecaster PAGASA, “The shear line will continue to dump rains in parts of Visayas and Mindanao a day after Christmas.”
“It will bring heavy to intense rains over eastern Visayas, Bohol, Caraga, northern Mindanao, and Davao Oriental, while moderate to heavy rains can be expected over Palawan and the rest of Visayas and Mindanao.” said on Monday
Residents are warned of flooding and landslides in these areas.
