In theory, Lagunenses should have been prepared for the effects of tropical storm “Kristine,” which battered Laguna province from October 23 to 24 (Wednesday and Thursday).
As a matter of fact, as reports came in on widespread flooding in Bicol and Southern Luzon during the early days of “Kristine’s” onslaught, local disaster risk reduction and management offices (DRRMOs) in the province have immediately announced that they were prepared for the possible worst effects of the storm.
Yet when “Kristine’s” full fury hit Laguna province on the afternoon and evening of October 25, many Lagunenses once again faced a water nightmare: heavy flooding and landslides that sent many fleeing their homes in the middle of the night.
Rain bands
One question residents have been asking is, why did “Kristine” bring heavy rains and floods in Laguna province when, in theory, the province was hundreds of kilometers away from its center?
Satellite images shared by Pagasa showed that, as "Kristine" passed over the Cordillera region on Thursday afternoon and evening, the storm's rainbands were right over Metro Manila and the Calabarzon region.
Rainbands are elongated areas of heavy clouds extending from the storm's eye where rainfall or precipitation is at its heaviest.
By 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, the situation was such that Pagasa declared a red warning alert over Laguna province and other parts of Southern Luzon.
Official data
As of press time (October 25), according to data provided by the Laguna Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO), two deaths were already reported due to “Kristine”: two individuals in Barangay Pulong Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa City, who were swept away by raging floodwaters at the height of the storm and drowned.
Aside from this, a total of 13,470 families, or 50,749 individuals, had to be taken to evacuation centers after experiencing heavy flooding, while a total of 1,250 families, or 4,307 individuals, were counted as "affected individuals outside evacuation."
Thirty-nine houses were totally destroyed and 1,205 homes partially damaged, while the agriculture sector suffered a total loss of P84,820.327 in damaged crops, fishing gear and paraphernalia.
Roads in San Pablo City and the towns of Bay, Calauan, Kalayaan, Paete, Famy, Pangil, Santa Cruz, Pagsanjan, Mabitac, Cavinti and Santa Maria became impassable, either due to heavy floods or fallen debris.
Heavy flooding
The heavy rainfall brought by typhoon “Kristine” once again caused rivers in the province’s 1st
and 2nd districts to overflow, flooding nearby barangays and prompting authorities to implement preemptive evacuation.
In San Pedro City, for instance, a total of 579 families (or 2,308 individuals) in 12 barangays were evacuated during the night of October 24, based on data released from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO).
Most of these families came from the coastal barangays of Landayan (181 families), San Roque (73 families) and Cuyab (24 families), as well as barangays along the San Isidro River such as GSIS, San Antonio, San Vicente and Santo Niño.
In Biñan City, the Biñan River also overflowed, causing widespread flooding in the barangays of Dela Paz, Malaban, Casile, San Antonio, Tubigan and Poblacion.
As of press time (October 25), Biñan City, San Pedro City, Santa Rosa City and the municipality of Santa Cruz have declared a “State of Calamity” due to the widespread damage brought by the typhoon.
Aside from enabling these LGUs to use their funds for providing immediate relief for residents affected from the disaster, the declaration of a “state of calamity” will also ensure, through prize freezes, that unscrupulous businessmen will not take advantage of the situation.
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