Flashflood in Leyte

Some 147,288 people or 29,430 families in 460 barangays have been affected by floods in Regions VII and VIII. Nine people were also confirmed dead due to floods and landslide.

The city government of Tacloban and the provincial government of Leyte both declared a state of calamity following massive displacement of affected communities.

Leyte and parts of Eastern Visayas and Bohol had experienced incessant rains since Wednesday, causing the soil to loosen and the water level to rise.

Classes in all levels in Tacloban and the rest of Leyte were canceled since Thursday due to the inclement weather.

The provinces of Leyte and Western Samar were the most affected.

Landslide

A landslide in Barangay Cabalawan in Tacloban City had killed a couple and their five children who were asleep when mud and boulder buried their home about 2 a.m. on Thursday.

Landslides also occurred in four other barangays in Tacoban City, forcing residents to seek temporary shelters in Barangay Halls. Another landslide in Abuyog, Leyte rendered the Abuyog-Silago Road impassable.

Flashfloods

Flashfloods were also reported in several barangays in Bohol, causing temporary disruption to traffic, and inundating rice fields.

Call for Assistance

Donations for the families affected by floods may be deposited to the following accounts:

Peso Account:

Account Name: Citizens’ Disaster Response Center

Bank: Metrobank, Examiner Branch, Quezon City, Philippines

Account No. 636-3-63600741-3

Dollar Account:

Account Name: Citizens’ Disaster Response Center

Bank: Metrobank, Examiner Branch, Quezon City, Philippines

Account No. 636-2-63600158-3

Swift Code: MBTCPHMM

]]> http://www.cdrc-phil.com/more-than-147000-people-affected-by-floods-in-central-and-eastern-visayas/feed/ 0 http://www.cdrc-phil.com/is-the-philippines-susceptible-to-sinkholes/ http://www.cdrc-phil.com/is-the-philippines-susceptible-to-sinkholes/#comments Thu, 10 Jun 2010 08:13:14 +0000 CDRC Admin http://www.cdrc-phil.com/?p=4391 After the recent sinkhole disaster in Guatemala, discussions have begun to take place over where other potentially destructive time bombs might be hidden. A sinkhole is defined as a natural depression or hole in the surface topography caused by the karst processes or chemical dissolution of carbonate rocks. Sinkholes tend to form where there are large deposits of limestone, carbonate rock, and salt beds which are exposed to circulating ground water. As rock slowly dissolves, cave-like spaces develop under the land surface. Now, if these lands that are susceptible to sinkhole formations have been used for development, there exists a large risk for both lose of property and human life.

So what are the risks here in the Philippines? According to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), many areas have been categorized as having sinkholes or hold the potential for sinkhole formation. By conducting Engineering Geological and Geo-hazard Assessments (EGGA) seven barangays in Bohol, namely Poblacion 3, Bool, Mansasa, Cabawan, Tiptip, Dao and Cogon have sinkhole pockets. In Cebu, an island approximately 60-70% composed of limestone has outlined the following barangay’s as having sinkholes: Barangay Talamban and Cabancalan. To date, there appear no immediate risk for the National Capital Region for sinkhole, or sinkhole formation.

The only way to detect if an area is susceptible to sinkhole formation is through core drilling or ground-penetrating radar. Therefore, any and all concerned local government units are urged to conduct EGGA to identify the possible geological hazards that exist within and in adjacent areas of new development.

Information sourced from:

Manila Bulletin: Indino, P.J. Pocket sinkholes seen in Bohol. June 4, 2010

Manila Bulletin: Sinkholes can occur in Cebu – MGB7 geologist. June 6, 2010