2.5 months worth of rain dumped on Naga in 24 hours

Severe Tropical Storm Kristine brought catastrophic flooding to parts of the Bicol Region, with over 700 millimeters of rain falling in just 24 hours on Naga City, the capital of Camarines Sur.

This is the equivalent of 2.5 months' worth of rainfall, forcing residents in the city to evacuate as floodwaters surged into homes, leaving many submerged.

"Mga 700 milimiters of rain — accumulated rainfall na namin 'yun... 'yung normal na monthly average lang naman ng Naga [City] sa rainfall ay nasa 230 to 235 lang naman," Allen Reondanga, Administrative Officer in Naga City, said in John Consulta’s report on 24 Oras.

Naga City Mayor Nelson Legacion described the situation as "unprecedented" with 30% of the city's territorial jurisdiction and 70% of its population affected.

"Lumalabas na around 30 percent of the entire territorial jurisdiction ng Naga [City] ay binaha, and around 70 percent ng ating population ay naapektuhan o nakaranas ng pagbaha. First time, unprecedented po ito," Legacion said.

Reondanga said the flooding was not just a result of heavy rain but also the inflow of water from nearby areas.

"'Yung Naga ay part ng Bicol River Basin. 'Yung floodwater ng Albay, ng Rinconada, ay pumapasok pababa dito sa lungsod ng Naga... very abnormal yung nangyari," he said.

As of October 23, three deaths have been reported in the Bicol Region because of Kristine.

The Police Regional Office 5 reported that one person is missing and six others were injured.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) reported a total of seven missing persons, including three fishermen in San Fernando and three individuals in Daanbantayan, Cebu.

NDRRMC report

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) confirmed the missing count in Bicol stands at three, with one injury reported in its 8 a.m. report on Wednesday, October 23, 2024.

Approximately 382,302 individuals (77,910 families) across Bicol and nearby regions have been affected by Kristine.

Evacuations continue, with 12,334 people (3,095 families) in evacuation centers, as of this writing.

Reports indicate damage to 57 houses, with power outages in 36 areas.

Seaport operations in CALABARZON, MIMAROPA, Bicol, and Central Visayas have been suspended and left over 4,700 passengers and numerous cargo vessels stranded.

Classes in 602 areas and work in 164 areas were also suspended because of the storm.

Kristine entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on October 21, 2024 and is forecast to make landfall in northern Luzon evening on October 23 or morning on October 24. —GMA Regional TV