Eastern Visayas LGUs told to brace for rains due to tropical depression ‘Carina’

TACLOBAN CITY, July 29 (PNA) –- The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has called on local authorities to be on alert for possible flooding and landslides as tropical depression Carina is expected to dump moderate to heavy rains in Eastern Visayas.

RDRRMC Chairman and Office of the Civil Defense (OCD) regional director Edgar Posadas said they have sent advisories to provincial, city and municipal disaster and risk reduction councils to prepare for the impacts of heavy downpour.

“We asked local councils to undertake precautionary measures in their areas of responsibility and initiate pre-emptive evacuation of families in low-lying areas and mountainous areas if situations warrants,” Posadas said.

The OCD has disseminated a weather advisory on Friday through text messaging and facsimile from the provincial down to the municipal level.

In its 1:55 p.m. advisory, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) has raised orange (intense) rainfall warning over Leyte, Southern Leyte, Eastern Samar, Samar, and Biliran provinces.

That means intense rains of 15-30 liters per square meter per hour are expected within one hour and flooding is considered a definite threat in communities under this alert. Rainfall is expected to continue in the next two hours. 

According to 11a.m. weather bulletin of Pagasa, the center of tropical depression Carina was estimated based on all available data at 195 kilometers east of Borongan City in Eastern Samar.

It has a strength of 45 kilometers per hour moving northwest.

Estimated rainfall amount is from moderate to heavy within the 300 km diameter of the tropical depression.

Fisherfolk are alerted against moderate to rough seas over the eastern seaboards of Luzon and Visayas. (PNA)
PGL/SARWELL Q. MENIANO