Preemptive evacuation enforced in Leyte towns

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines – Authorities have implemented preemptive evacuation of a number of families in at least four towns in Leyte last Tuesday evening when continuous rains raised to danger zone the water levels in four Early Warning Stations in the province.

The Leyte Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported that at least 85 families were immediately evacuated from four flood-prone barangays in Palo town, and three barangays in Burauen town.

The LPDRRMC said that, as of 9 a.m on Tuesday, the water level in Palo continued to rise from 0.50 meters to 0.60 meters, prompting the declaration of the town under Alert Level 1.

At 5 p.m., the Leyte’s disaster council informed the PIA about Alert Level 1 and called on the public and the local disaster councils to be vigilant against possible floods. This info was forwarded by the PIA to the media outlets for dissemination.

Later, Leyte PDRRMC raised warning level 2 and advised LDRRMC of Palo, Tanauan and Dagami towns to conduct evacuation of people from highly vulnerable or flood prone areas.

Paul Mooney, of the council, said monitoring of water level continued because Palo has become the catch basin of the watershed of Binahaan in Dagami town and Tingib in Pastrana town.

The latest information from the council, as of yesterday, was that few of the evacuees have gone home already but majority remained at the evacuation centers. – (FREEMAN)