‘Darna’ wreaks havoc in Tarlac

TARLAC CITY — Tropical depression "Darna" was a total headache to residents here, as well as to motorists and commuters traveling between Manila and Northern Luzon, after its strong winds caused power interruptions and its heavy downpour wreaked flashfloods in major thoroughfares.

It was late last Sunday when Darna, named after the classic Mars Ravelo comics heroine, commenced dumping heavy rains in the province, which resulted to flashfloods along the MacArthur Highway from Barangays Maligaya to Sta. Cruz in this city.

The instant deluge caused a bumper-to-bumper traffic jam on the entire stretch of the national road that lasted for hours, even as the public works department has yet to wrap up the completion of drainage work repairs that dot the MacArthur Highway.

Waist-deep flashflood was also experienced at the MacArthur Highway-San Roque junction, the national thoroughfare’s gateway to the heart of this city, while the M.H. del Pilar street in Barangay San Nicolas was submerged in knee-deep floodwaters.

Strong winds wrought by Darna also felled power lines, which caused major power interruptions in this city, as well as in several areas of the 17 towns of the province.

It was only on Tuesday when power services returned to normal, after Darna has seemed to have turned to Narda, the heroine’s other identity whose character is that of a meek dame who seemed to be helpless in times of adversity. — Benjie Villa