Neneng causes flooding, power outage in Cagayan

Some parts of Cagayan were flooded and had their power cut off as Severe Tropical Storm Neneng (international name: Nesat) brought heavy rains on Sunday.

"Out of 16 barangays, mayroong totally na-flood at partially flooded. Mayroong lagpas tao ang baha. May ilan na nasa bubong na," Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) officer in Santa Ana, Cagayan Michael Villamin said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB on Sunday morning.

(Out of 16 barangays, there were areas that were totally flooded, while others were partially flooded. In some areas, floodwaters were beyond a man's height. Some residents had to go up to their rooftops.)

He added that the floodwaters rose starting Saturday night.

Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba, in a separate Super Radyo dzBB interview, said that several areas in Aparri, Buguey, and Santa Ana were flooded on Saturday night.

Meanwhile, preemptive evacuations were implemented in certain areas in Aparri, Baggao, and Allacapan.

Villamin also said they received reports of two landslides in Santa Ana.

Some fishermen's bancas were also destroyed, he added.

"Dahil din sa epekto ng bagyong Maymay noon na nagdala rin ng mga pag-ulan sa loob ng halos isang linggo... Naipon ang tubig tapos sinabayan pa ng bagyong Neneng ngayon at nagkaroon pa ng high tide kaya may mga lugar na binaha," he said.

(Due to the effect of [Tropical Depression] Maymay, there were rains for almost a week... The water accumulated. Then came heavy rains from Neneng and there was also a high tide so some areas were flooded.)

Rescuers used rubber boats or water vessels to reach residents in flooded areas, Villamin added.

Based on the initial reports received, 155 families sought shelter in evacuation centers, he said.

Meanwhile, power went out starting at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday in parts of Cagayan, Villamin said.

Relief packs are need for residents affected by flooding, he said.

"Nangangailangan ng relief packs lalo na para sa mga matinding binaha... May ilan na apektado maging ang kanilang kabuhayan," Villamin said.

(We need relief packs especially for those who have been severely flooded... Some even have their livelihoods affected.)

In Claveria, Cagayan, floodwaters reached waist level before dawn in Purok 6, Lablabig based on a netizen's video shared by the Cagayan Provincial Information Office on Facebook.

Meanwhile in Santa Ana, the water level at Palawig River rose before dawn on Sunday and reached the Palawig Detour Bridge, as seen in a video taken by a netizen and also shared by the Cagayan PIO.

“‘Yung Cagayan River namin, hindi naman lumaki. Dito lang po sa northernmost towns ng Cagayan ang dire-diretso ang pag-ulan kaya may preemptive measures na ginawa sa evacuations,” Mamba said.

(The Cagayan River did not overflow. It is only here in the northernmost towns of Cagayan that the rain was continuous, so preemptive measures were placed for evacuations.)

Mamba added there are no reported missing or deaths in Cagayan due to Neneng, so far.

Meanwhile, in Buguey, Cagayan, Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) head Sheena Talla said that several roads in their seven barangays were impassable to light vehicles due to knee-deep floods.

She said they asked the help of the Philippine Coast Guard to evacuate affected residents.

There were no landslides recorded in the municipality, but several areas were affected by power interruptions, she added.

Talla also said there were no reported casualties in Buguey, so far.

In a separate interview on Super Radyo dzBB, Cagayan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office head Ruelie Rapsing said that 12 municipalities and 52 barangays were flooded as of 8 a.m. Sunday.

“Tumigil naman na ang pag-uulan at lumiwanag na ang kalangitan namin. Wala na ring pabugso-bugsong hangin. ‘Yun nga lang po, iniwan kami ng [bagyong Neneng] maraming tubig dito sa amin at ngayon pa lang nagsisimulang magbabaan ‘yung mga ibinuhos na tubig mula sa kabundukan,” Rapsing said.

(The rain has already stopped, and our sky has cleared. No more gusts of wind. It's just that Neneng left us with a lot of floodwaters and the water from the mountains is just now starting to come down.)

“Hindi pa maayos ang mga outlets natin dito para mabilis na bumaba ang tubig,” he added.

(Our outlets here are not yet fixed so that the floodwater can go down quickly.)

Asked if there are critical areas in the province, Rapsing said residents living in the towns of Ballesteros and Claveria need immediate rescue operations.

“Magkakahilera naman po sila. ‘Yung nabaha noong 2019, halos buong District 2 ng Cagayan ‘yun. Ito rin po ang mga bayan na ‘yun at kapag naipon ang [tubig baha] mukhang mauulit ang 2019 scenario natin. Kaya kahapon pa lang nag-deploy na tayo ng mga asset,” he said.

(The towns are right next to other. In 2019, almost the entire District 2 of Cagayan was flooded. These were also those towns. And when floodwaters rise, our 2019 scenario would be repeated. So we deployed our assets yesterday.)

“Pero ang preemptive evacuation sa sinasabi natin sa local, eh hindi rin naipatupad. Hindi agad nakapag-desisyon para mag-preemptive. Kaya ngayon pa lang tayo maglilikas ng mga kababayan natin,” he added.

(But the preemptive evacuation yesterday did not push through. We did not immediately decide to do preemptive evacuation. So, we will evacuate our province mates now.)

In Barangay Fugu in Ballesteros town, a landslide occurred due to heavy downpour, according to GMA Regional TV One North Central Luzon’s Ivy Hernando reported on “24 Oras Weekend.”

“’Yung landslide doon, subukan nating tumawid para madala natin ang steal boat para makatawid tayo dito papunta sa Sitio Calapawan,” said Ballesteros Police Station chief Police Major Marlou del Castillo.

In a sitio in Barangay Fugu, about 95 families were isolated as floodwaters reached the roofs of some homes.

“Maliit lang dito. Pero pagdating sa banda doon masyadong malaki ang tubig… mga 4 meters pa ito, said Barangay Fugu Chairman Andres Uganiza.

Allacapan Mayor Harry Florida said their town, which was already in a state of calamity due to the tropical depression Maymay, was flooded again caused by the continuous rains.

“Dito kasi sa bayan ng Allacapan, is a catch basin ito. We have two rivers dito connecting the Cagayan rivers, so ang Linaw River silted na ito,” Florida said.

(Allacapan town is a catch basin. We have two rivers here connecting Cagayan Rivers, so the Linaw River is already silted.)

Florida also called on the national government to help their residents.

“Panawagan natin most especially sa national government, kay Pangulong Bongbong Marcos Jr. na tulungan tayo. Ang bayan po natin ay isang agrikulturang bayan. Pumapangalawa po tayo sa produksyon ng palay at ang ikinabubuhay ng ating mga tao dito ay pagsasaka,” he said.

(We appeal most especially to the national government, to President Bongbong Marcos Jr. to help us. Our town is an agricultural town. We are second in rice production and the livelihood of our people here is farming.)

Abra and Ilocos

Heavy downpour also knocked down some crops in the province of Abra, while some trees in Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte also fell.

According to the latest situational report of Cagayan Provincial Information Office, there are 2,003 families or more than 6,911 individuals affected by the onslaught of Neneng.

Meanwhile, an irrigation in the town of Bacarra in Ilocos Norte, causing some barangays to be submerged in floodwaters.

Authorities are still monitoring the water level in Bislak River, while rubber boats are on stand-by in case evacuation would be necessary.

Neneng landfall

Severe Tropical Storm Neneng made landfall over Calayan Island, Cagayan at 3:50 a.m. on Sunday.

As of 4 p.m., Neneng was located 210 km West Northwest of Calayan, Cagayan, with maximum sustained winds of 120 km/h near the center, gustiness of up to 150 km/h and central pressure of 975 hPa. It is moving westwards at 15 km/h.

It also has strong to typhoon-force winds extending outwards up to 330 km from the center.

On the forecast track, the typhoon may exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) late Monday afternoon or evening.

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. earlier said that the government is “watching closely” Neneng's progress.

“Government assets are in place to deal with the aftermath and ensure the primary needs of those affected, especially food, safe drinking water, and electricity,” the President wrote on Twitter.

“Nevertheless, to the provinces in the North that have felt the effects, help is on the way. We encourage everyone to follow the directives of your LGUs and MDRRMCs,” he added. —With reports from Giselle Ombay and Mel Matthew Doctor/KG/BM, GMA News