Kristine rainfall on Albay more than 2006’s Typhoon Reming — official

Severe Tropical Storm Kristine dumped more rain in Albay than Typhoon Reming, the deadly storm that hit the country in 2006 and impacted the Bicol Region in particular, according to an Albay Public Safety Emergency Management (APSEMO) officer.

Citing data from PAGASA, Dr. Cedric Daep, APSEMO consultant on risk reduction management, said Kristine's rainfall could be "groundbreaking."

“Umabot ng unprecedented rainfall of 500 millimeters. Samantala, yung Reming noong 2006, ay 467 mm,” Daep said in a public briefing.

(Kristine reached an unprecedented rainfall of 500 millimeters of rain. Reming's volume of rainfall in 2006 was 467 mm.)

Reming killed hundreds of people across several provinces in December 2006. Its heavy rainfall  triggered mudslides from Mayon Volcano that buried whole villages.

Daep said aside from the heavy rainfall, Albay is flooded because the river system cannot hold the water from the watershed anymore.

He also reported that lahar flow affected the provinces.

“Maraming lahar, buti hindi na nag overflow para maputol yung kalsada from second to first district,” Daep said.

(There was a lot of lahar but fortunately it did not overflow to cut the road off from the second to the first district.)

PHIVOLCS earlier said it monitored lahar flows in Barangay Masarawag in Guinobatan and Barangay Binitayan in Daraga.

Daep added that as of 5 p.m. on Wednesday, at least 50,000 families in Albay or about 179,000 individuals have been evacuated. — BM, GMA Integrated News