BACOLOD CITY – Some 1,062 houses in four cities were damaged by massive floods in northern Negros Occidental last weekend, a report of the Provincial Disaster Management Program Division (PDMPD) on Tuesday showed.
The affected houses were located in Talisay, Silay, Victorias, and Cadiz, where many areas went under water following hours of moderate to heavy rains on Jan. 8 and 9.
In Talisay, floods hit 20 barangays (villages), affecting 329 houses, including 49 totally damaged and 280 partially damaged.
In Silay, some 729 houses were affected in 16 barangays, of which 51 were totally damaged and 678 were partially damaged.
In Cadiz, four areas were flooded, resulting in one totally damaged house and five others partially damaged while in Escalante, two houses were totally damaged.
According to the report, some 48.17 percent of Silay’s population was affected by the flood. This translates to 16,886 families or 57,029 individuals whose homes were flooded by Saturday evening.
“Affected population count ranges from the moment unusual amount of water enters their premises due to the flood event until total damage of residence, regardless the members evacuated or not,” the report added.
Other local government units with affected residents include Talisay, 3,933 families; E.B. Magalona, 3,339 families; Sagay 1,551 families; Victorias, 1,237 families; and Escalante, 15 families.
Also, 11 roads and bridges, as well as a flood control project in Silay, Talisay and Cadiz, were either destroyed or damaged by the massive floods, the second in just a week after flash floods also hit northern Negros early hours on New Year’s Day.
Last week, the respective councils of Talisay and Victorias declared a state of calamity.
Silay was also placed under a state of calamity by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council but the declaration has yet to be approved by the city council. (PNA)
