More than 100 families, or 320 individuals, were displaced by days of persistent rain induced by a shear line and caused flooding in parts of the Bicol Region, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) .
The NDRRMC said intermittent rains on Dec. 30 to Jan. 7 inundated several barangays in Camarines Sur and
Catanduanes provinces, with the worst impact recorded in the municipality of Lagonoy, Camarines Sur, where 103 families or 304 persons fled their homes for safer grounds. The evacuees sought shelter in five evacuation centers, the report stated.
In San Andres, Catanduanes, at least three families were dislocated at the height of the heavy rains. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported that all victims requiring immediate assistance were provided with food packs and other relief goods.
Beyond the residential areas, the shear line also disrupted mobility and daily activities. Four bridges in Catanduanes were declared not passable to all types of vehicles, while four road sections were partly closed to vehicular traffic, disrupting travel between communities. These included bridge spillways in the towns of San Miguel, Virac, and Viga.
Classes were suspended in 20 cities and municipalities across Catanduanes, Albay, and Camarines Sur as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of students amid flooding and unsafe road conditions
.The Office of Civil Defense in Region V said it continues to coordinate closely with local disaster risk reduction and management offices, while maintaining standby mobility assets, communication equipment, and continuous dissemination of weather advisories issued by the weather bureau.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Over 100 families displaced amid shear line-induced Bicol flood”
