At least 2 casualties reported in Misamis Occidental amid Christmas Day flooding

At least two casualties were reported in Misamis Occidental due to holiday season flash floods, with rescue operations still ongoing following the damage caused at a nearby dike.

As reported by Mav Gonzales on “24 Oras Weekend” on Sunday, the deaths came amid flooding in the Visayas and Mindanao areas, with heavy rains due to the shear line and the northeast monsoon or Amihan, along with the damage to a nearby dike.

Neck-high floods were reported in the Tudela area, where only the roofs of residential properties were left visible after the floods.

Among those evacuated were senior citizens, who were given equipment to assist in their breathing after they reported difficulties.

Several families in both the Visayas and Mindanao regions were forced to evacuate due to the flooding, with the local government of Zamboanga reporting some 300 families seeking refuge.

The state weather bureau earlier on Sunday said it expects cloudy skies with scattered to widespread rain showers in the Eastern Visayas, Surigao del Norte, the Dinagat Islands, Camiguin, and Southern Palawan due to the shear line.

It also warned of heavy to torrential rains which may lead to flooding or landslides.

PAGASA said the rest of the Visayas, the Zamboanga Peninsula, the rest of northern Mindanao, and the rest of Palawan would have cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms, also due to the shear line. — Jon Viktor Cabuenas/DVM, GMA Integrated News