Southwest monsoon affects 139 families in Davao region

Workers clear the road after a huge tree fell at GSIS Heights in Matina Wednesday night (18 September 2024) after strong rains due to the southwest monsoon battered Davao City. MindaNews photo by GREGORIO BUENO

DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 20 September) – At least 139 families or 409 persons were affected by Wednesday’s flooding due to rains brought by the southwest monsoon or “habagat,” the Office of the Civil Defense-Region 11 (Davao region)  said Friday.

In a report, OCD-11 said that certain areas in Barangay Astorga, Santa Cruz town in Davao del Sur and five barangays in Davao City were inundated, following torrential rains due to the effects of the southwest monsoon, a weather system affecting several parts of the country.

It said that the flooding occurred at 6:12 p.m. on Wednesday in Barangay Astorga and at 7:38 p.m., floods were also monitored in barangays Bucana, Matina Crossing, Matina Aplaya, Talomo Proper, and Maa in this city.

The OCD-11 said the southwest monsoon brought strong winds that caused rough seas in the coastal areas of Purok Kimsan, Barangay Ilangay, Lupon in Davao Oriental last Tuesday, September 17.

A power interruption was then reported in Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental and the towns of Governor Generoso and Lupon, Davao Oriental, but was restored on Thursday, September 19, it added.

The agency said the southwest monsoon damaged four houses in Davao Occidental and six houses in Davao Oriental.

Last September 12, strong winds and heavy rains were experienced in Barangay Salaysay in Marilog District, Davao City, and in Barangays Butukan and Malalan in Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental.

In a weather advisory as of 11 a.m. on September 20, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported that the southwest monsoon is expected to bring “moderate to heavy rainfall” in Ilocos region, Babuyan Islands, Zambales, and Bataan on September 21, and “heavy to intense rainfall” in Batanes on September 22.

“Forecast rainfall are generally higher in elevated or mountainous areas. Under these conditions, flooding and rain-induced landslides are expected especially in areas that are highly susceptible to these hazard maps and in localities that experiences amounts of rainfall for the past several days,” Pagasa said. (Antonio L. Colina IV / MindaNews)