6:15 pm 1/27/2011 Garcia Hernandez

Slight erosion, landslide

In Garcia Hernandez

SLIGHT soil erosion spotted by a barangay official in barangay Candulao, Garcia Hernandez Bohol may cause traffic hazards and warnings and advisories have been issued.

In the same barangay, a tipolo tree leaned precariously towards a powerline creating danger of electrocution to passersby, police authorities bared.

Upon information, the local disaster authorities reported that they had called the local power utilities provider to make the necessary steps to secure life and property in the area.

A small landslide was also reported in Sitio Tipolo, barangay Abejilan.

This was despite previous clearing operations done by police and disaster authorities of the town.

The landslide was caused by undue soil saturation due to the rains which has caused road blockage in the provincial road access.

Another clearing operation was slated this afternoon, local police authorities said. 

6:00 1/27/2011

Sagbayan town center inundated

THE town center in Sagbayan Bohol has been flooded as of 5:00 PM January 27 as the rains continue to pour since Wednesday noontime.

Mayor Ranuflo Suarez, in a radio interview said that the town public market, municipal hall and the church have been flooded even with the absence of a nearby body of water.

Sagbayan town center is located in a valley and the natural catchment for rainwater which has flooded most stalls in the town market.

Roads leading to the town, especially the one from Catigbian were also reportedly inundated and could be risky to motorcycle and low wheeled vehicles.

The mayor has said he even has to put in a makeshift gangplank just to get on his private vehicle from the office at the town hall. 

While there have been no reports yet of evacuation activities, many residents in the Poblacion area have been advised to seek higher and drier grounds for the approaching nightfall.

Governor Edgar Chatto personally went on a province wide disaster inspection today and has promised assistance to the town.

Jan 27 Sevilla 5:00 PM

Sevilla barangay road

In waist deep water

THE road to Lobgob, in Sevilla of this Bohol hinterland town is still waist deep as of 4:00 PM today making a crossing by simply treading extremely dangerous.

Reports reaching the Philippine Information Agency in Tagbilaran bared that the water at Sevilla river continues to rise dangerously from its banks as relentless rains continue to fall more than 24 hours since it started Wednesday noon.

According to sources, crossing the waist deep road to barangay Lobgob would be risky as the currents are strong and the saturated soil on the roadside is slippery.

For this, Sevilla Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council has advised against treading the water especially as the darkness start to blanket and low hanging clouds still threaten to pour more rains.

Meanwhile, the water from Sevilla River pours into the Sevilla Hydro power dam catchment which has breached critical levels this morning.

The dam authorities have opened the two floodgates to stabilize the bulk of water gushing from the river’s main tributaries.

As of 4:00 unconfirmed reports said that the power plant has shut down its operations due to the danger of water destroying the power turbines.

2:00 PM 01/27/11

Disaster team convened,

Loboc flooding continues

AS police and disaster authorities are presently convening to discuss and coordinate operations, the Loboc River continues to rise, breaching an estimated two meter from its banks.

The flooding has reached about lapped from 2 inches above the landing at the Loboc Tourism Complex at 8:00 monitoring to about 42 inches noontime and the water continues to rise, local contacts report. 

Early this morning, two gates at the Ewon Hydro power pant in up-river town of Sevilla was opened due to water build-up in its dams breaching critical levels.

Eyewitness accounts tell that the flood has reached the top level of the two meter flood control embankments erected along the town river sides.

Another source said a house owned by the Jimenez’ has already been flooded, it being in the lowest part and reachable by floodwaters.

A formerly critical area in the national highway near the lowlying ricefields of Barangay Gotozon has already been spared as the government raised the road levels recently.

A few inches more and the national road portion at the back of the town church and convent would be flooded, said confirmed a Loboc Tourism Complex worker on telephone interview.

On this, school children at the Loboc Central  Elementary school who comes from far-flung areas and especially those who would have to cross the bridge were already sent home.

This as local authorities map out areas now affected by the rising waters and prepare disaster relief operations.

Residents along the river have been alarmed and preparations for immediate evacuation are set, said PIsnp John Gano, Loboc  police chief. (racPIABohol)

1:00 PM 01/27/11

Guindulman Evacuation

RESIDENTS have returned to their homes after evacuation operations in Barangay Casbu in Guindulman town after the high tide contributed to the flooding in the town’s low lying village.

Police sources said the evacuation which was done at the peak of the tides his early dawn was triggered when the high tides contributed to the rain which has

been pouring since noontime yesterday.

Rain and sea water was reportedly rising at waist deep levels in the lowest areas of the village.

Guindulman Police officer SPO1 Ruperto Jayoma, in a telephone interview said the evacuation operations to families living on areas near the water were temporarily sheltered at the local evacuation center: the barangay Chapel.

When the tide ebbed however at around 9:00 AM, the water levels subsided, allowing families to return to their homes.

Town police and disaster authorities are now coordinating with other government and non-government agencies to conduct rescue and relief operations, should a similar evacuation happen.

The situation has retuned to normal, as of 11 AM, said Spo1 Jayoma.

It was not also known if similar evacuation operations would be done as the high tides return this PM.    

11:00AM 01/27/11

Landslide blocks Jagna mountain road 

A landslide toppling down huge forest trees rendered a town secondary access road impassable here as rains continue to pour in the last 48 hours.

The landslide, caused by over saturation of the soil happened at Sitio Mang-og, Purok 7 barangay Tubod Monte in Jagna.

  

Two huge Hanagdong trees felled by the landslide blocked the access road cut-ff the access road.

  

No report of damage to lives and property is reported however.

  

The road connects Jagna to Sierra Bullones town and traverses another landslide critical area of Barangay Mayana.

  

Jagma Municipal Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council has reportedly left to the affected area for road clearing operations, reports Jagna Police Chief SPO4 Bayron.

10:00AM 01/27/11

Disaster team on alert

GOVERNOR Edgar Chatto has placed a Capitol based rescue and evacuation team on 24 hour standby to be dispatched to any town needing disaster and relief assistance in the light of the ongoing rains which has been falling since yesterday noon. 

Any town needing disaster relief operations may call on the team, said Board Member and SO peace and order chair Brigido Imboy.

This as the Municipal Tactical Operations team in Clarin town reports the flooding almost breaching the national highway along Barangay Bacani, which may render the road impassable by vehicular traffic.

On the other part of town, big trees falling into the river at barangay Candajec leading to Barangay Buangan is similarly reported.

Reports also said that this may disrupt the water flow and cause the clogging of the river, thus diverting the flow to flood other areas.  

In the next mountain town of Sagbayan, flooding has been reported in the roads leading and out of Sagbayan via Catigbian, text reports from the town said.

A mountain town located about 50 kilometers away from Tagbilaran and around 10 kilometers from the coastlines, Sagbayan town center is noted to be a valley that can be inundated as a rainwater catchment collecting run-off from the nearby hills.

In a text message, Sagbayan Mayor Ricardo Suarez reported that flooding in the town center is reaching into the public market and municipal hall grounds.

Also, access roads leading to Sagbayan can be difficult to maneuver by cars as flooding is noted in several portions.

In Tubigon, town disaster workers are also closely monitoring Bateria River as a subtle rise in the water was noted, said town information officer Raymond Delgado.

He also added that another river from the mountain barangays and emptying into the Macaas water catchment is also monitored having had histories of flashfloods. (racPIABohol) 

9:00AM 01/27/11

Sevilla “hydro”

gates opened

LOBOC BOHOL. DISASTER authorities are closely monitoring the Loboc River as histories of flooding have heightened alerts among riverside residents with the non-stop rains that fell here since yesterday 12:00.

Loboc River is the emptying basin for three major dams in Bohol: Hanopol Balilihan Hydropowerplant, Ewon Sevilla hydro and Tontonan Loboc Hydro power plant.

The rains have so far accumulated a huge bulk of water which should be emptied to assure the dam’s operational viability.

The previous releasing of the water however disrupted river cruise operations on the lower tributaries, flooded agricultural lands and ruined an estimated P6M in property, separate sources said.

According to Engr. Alfredo Onez, the two gates of the Ewon Sevilla dam were fully opened as of 5:50 this morning as collected water has reached 31.60 meters.

He however assured that safety considerations were considered.

In a radio interview, Onez added that the rise in the water has been noted since last night.

He also shared that at 31.20 meters and the water is not released, the excess water can destroy the power turbines.

The 31.60 meters release has been according to existing protocols to make sure that the 34.00 meters water level is not breached as this could jeopardize the operation of the power plant.

River watch monitor Joselito Omana, again in an interview said water levels at the Loboc Tourism Complex landing has risen two inches above the embankments but also added the currents has so far been a little above normal.