By Rjay Zuriaga Castor
KALIBO, Aklan – Heavy rains triggered by a shear line displaced over 1,000 families in Aklan on Sunday, December 1, as floodwaters inundated several towns across the province.
According to the Office of Civil Defense in Western Visayas (OCD-6), 1,009 families or 4,260 individuals were affected, with floodwaters rising to depths of 3 to 4 feet in multiple areas.
The Bailey Bridge, also known as the Mobo-Estancia Bridge in Kalibo, recorded a water level of 3.0 meters on Sunday, nearing its critical level of 5.4 meters.
The towns of Tangalan, Nabas, Altavas, and Balete experienced rain-induced landslides, while flooded roads rendered portions of Altavas and Numancia impassable to light vehicles.
Preemptive evacuations were conducted in Altavas, Numancia, and New Washington, relocating 50 families or 59 individuals to safer locations, according to OCD-6.
Aklan, along with Antique and Capiz, was placed under a red rainfall warning on Sunday.
In a related development, the Aklan Electric Cooperative, Inc. (AKELCO) reported an unscheduled power interruption caused by a transmission line trip-off on the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines’ 69-kilovolt line between Nabas and Altavas.
The power outage affected areas in Aklan, as well as the towns of Pandan and Libertad in Antique and Sapi-an in Capiz.
The provincial government of Aklan suspended classes from preschool to senior high school in both public and private schools on Monday, December 2.
The local government of Kalibo also suspended work for all municipal employees, citing safety risks from rising floodwaters in low-lying areas.
“This precautionary measure is intended to ensure the safety of all LGU personnel as several low-lying areas remain at risk of further flooding,” the Kalibo LGU said in a statement.
In Capiz, flooding was also reported in the town of Sapian.
Water service interruptions hit Roxas City and other areas served by the Manibad Water Treatment Plant after operations were halted due to high turbidity in the Mambusao River caused by flooding.
