Urduja leaves thousands stranded, forces evacuation of over 200 families

Tropical Storm Urduja has left thousands of travelers at several ports in the country stranded, forced over 200 families to evacuate due to floods in parts of Mindanao, and caused a landslide in Eastern Visayas that hurt a mother and her child.

A report on Unang Balita on Friday said that more than 2,000 passengers were stranded at Matnog Port in Sorsogon in the Bicol region due to strong winds and waves, prompting authorities to cancel all sea travels.  

Meanwhile, more than 100 stranded passengers in Tabaco City, Albay, were evacuated from the port to the Tabaco City National High School pending a ban on sea trips.

A Philippine Coast Guard report indicated that the total number of stranded travelers was at nearly 4,000, including those in several ports in Eastern Visayas.

In Mindanao, Urduja's heavy rains caused the Lagonglong River in Misamis Oriental to overflow, flooding at least two towns along the highway.

Over 200 families from the towns of Lagonglong ang Balingasag have been brought to evacuation centers. 

Meanwhile, “four or five” barangays in General MacArthur, Eastern Samar have been flooded by rains brought by Tropical Storm Urduja.

Mayor Flora Ty said in an interview on Unang Balita that floodwater was as high as a person's head, prompting local authorities to evacuate some 200 residents, half of them to a local government building and the other half to a private school.

The mayor also said power was completely out in the city, and communication was “difficult.”

While the local government had prepared relief goods such as food, rice, noodles and sardines, residents in evacuation centers lack drinking water, said Ty.

She said the municipality needs equipment to clear roads that have been rendered impassable by landslides.

In Tacloban City in Eastern Visayas, rain-soaked soil caused a wall along Congressman Mate Avenue to collapse, crashing into nearby houses. A mother and her child were injured in the incident, the report said.

As of 11 a.m., Tropical Cyclone Warning Signal No. 2 remains in place over Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, and Biliran. 

A storm surge is possible in coastal areas as waves can reach as high as 4.1 to 14.0 meters, the weather bureau said.

Signal No. 1 is up over Catanduanes, Camarines Sur, Albay, Sorsogon, Romblon, and Masbate as well as Burias and Ticao Islands, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Northern Cebu, Capiz, Aklan, Northern Iloilo, and Dinagat Islands. —Nicole-Anne C. Lagrimas/LBG/KG, GMA News