Davao City Hit by Floods Amid Storm Kiyapo Rains, Residents Evacuated

DAVAO CITY – Floods hit several villages in this city on Friday amid heavy rains triggered by Severe Tropical Storm Kiyapo and the southwest monsoon. In a video posted by MJ Bacalso on Facebook at past 9 p.m., flash floods swept through Bangkal in Barangay 19-B. Some residents were forced to seek shelter on the upper part of their houses while others asked to be rescued by authorities. As of 12:40 a.m. on Saturday, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) said emergency and disaster response teams “continue to conduct evacuation operations in flood-affected areas” in Los Amigos, Matina, Bangkal and Talomo Proper. Flooding was also reported in some parts of Tabuk District. The CDRRMO said that families who fled their homes due to the floods were safely sheltered in evacuation centers. Senior Fire Insp. Frances Marie Sendrijas, spokesperson of the Davao City Fire District, told reporters that their rescuers had been deployed to beef up the personnel undertaking rescue operations. Sendrijas said some had just finished rescue operations in Tugbok district and were instructed to proceed to Bangkal and Talomo. /gsg Flooding during the rainy season, often exacerbated by tropical storms and monsoons, is a recurring issue in the Philippines, particularly in urban and low-lying areas. Such natural disasters highlight existing vulnerabilities in infrastructure and urban planning. For many Filipinos working abroad as Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs), the safety of their families back home remains a constant concern. This situation underscores the need for enhanced disaster preparedness and swift response mechanisms from the government and local authorities. Source: Inquirer NewsInfo