Hermosa, Bataan under state of calamity due to floods

Hermosa town in Bataan province has been placed under state of calamity due to floods caused by heavy Habagat rains over the past few days, according to GMA News’ Darlene Cay on Friday, citing Mayor Jopet Inton.

Twelve of the 23 barangays in Hermosa were flooded. Some areas experienced waist- to chest-deep floods, while in some areas, the floodwater reached rooftops .

The problem was exacerbated by the swelling of the Almacen River.

Inton blamed the floods to water streaming down from the mountains of Pampanga and Bataan, as well as to the high tide.

“Talagang yung tubig na galing sa bundok na bumababa galing sa bundok ng Pampanga at Bataan. Tapos bumababa dahil sa ulan tapos sasabayan pa kami ng high tide,” he said.

(The rainwater really came from the mountains in Pampanga and Bataan. And then there's the high tide.)

Around 600 families were affected by the flood, 18 of them staying in evacuation centers.

Due to the bad weather, the vaccination against COVID-19 in the town was temporarily put on hold.

Interviewed on Unang Balita, Bataan’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head Josefina Timoteo said floodwater in some areas in the province has already subsided.

“Ngayon, tahimik po (Right now, it is quiet),” she said.

She said at least nine towns were affected by flooding, with three conductingconducted a pre-emptive evacuation.

At least 6,613 people or 1,599 families in 47 barangays in Bataan were staying inside evacuation centers, while 1,906 were taking shelter in other areas.

In its 11 p.m. weather advisory on Thursday, PAGASA said Habagat will bring moderate to heavy with at times intense rains over Ilocos Region, Benguet, Zambales, Bataan, Tarlac, Pampanga, and Occidental Mindoro in the next 24 hours.

Light to moderate with at times heavy rains are expected over Metro Manila, CALABARZON, Abra, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Oriental Mindoro, and northern Palawan including Calamian Islands, it added.

PAGASA warned of possible scattered to widespread flooding and rain-induced landslides in areas experiencing heavy downpour and prolonged rainfall as well as areas prone to these hazards. --KBK, GMA News