Hundreds of individuals were forced to leave their residences as floods, brought about by the impact of Super Typhoon Goring (also known as Saola), surged through predominantly rural communities in the northeastern Philippines, according to rescue authorities on Sunday.
During the overnight hours of Saturday, Saola skirted the northeastern part of the main Luzon island, directing its central winds of 185 kilometers per hour (115 miles per hour) within 125 kilometers of Tuguegarao, a city inhabited by approximately 160,000 people.
“While the wind intensity was moderate, the rainfall was substantial last night,” stated Ruelie Rapsing, a rescue official based in Cagayan province, speaking with AFP over the phone from Tuguegarao.
The provincial government’s communication office shared images on its Facebook page depicting knee-deep floodwaters inundating residences in the town of Aparri.
A total of 388 residents were relocated due to flooding in four Cagayan municipalities, with water levels also on the rise in two additional towns, Rapsing confirmed.
Across the province, which comprises 1.2 million residents, extensive power outages were widespread due to toppled power lines. However, apart from this, no casualties or significant damages were reported, he added.
On early Sunday, “Goring” veered southward along the east coast of Luzon, with the national meteorological agency indicating that it would remain over coastal waters instead of making landfall.
Rescue authorities in Isabela and Aurora, provinces situated on the east coast south of Cagayan, confirmed that no immediate reports of destruction or casualties had been received from those areas.
According to the weather service, the primary concern arose from the heavy precipitation, which had the potential to trigger flash floods or landslides. (ai/mnm)
