Over 430K people affected by inclement weather since Jan. 2 —OCD

A total of 438,622 people or 106,961 families have been affected by the inclement weather in different parts of the country since January 2, the Office of Civil Defense said Thursday.

In its 8 a.m. bulletin, the OCD said 8,153 individuals or 2,144 families were displaced.

The recent low pressure areas, shear line, and northeast monsoon have brought heavy rains to Cagayan, Central Luzon, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Eastern Visayas, Zamboanga, Northern Mindanao, Davao, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

At least 492 houses were reported damaged so far, according to the OCD.

At a televised public briefing, OCD Joint Information Center head Diego Agustin Mariano said damage to infrastructure worth P165,745,496 and P142,327,192 to agriculture were reported due to the impact of the bad weather.

At least 167 areas were still flooded, mostly in Eastern Visayas, Mariano said.

He said a state of calamity was declared in four areas: Tubod, Lanao del Norte; San Miguel, Leyte; Dolores, Eastern Samar; and Gandara, Samar.

Assistance worth P26,681,252 was provided to the victims, according to the OCD.

Due to the severe rains, massive flooding hit several parts of Mindanao.

In Zamboanga City, rescuers used rubber boats to evacuate residents from neck-deep flooding, even carrying out a baby in a basin, while the city hall was preemptively evacuated as the river overflowed.

Several areas in Misamis Occidental were also submerged in massive flooding

At least 12 barangays were also affected in Basilan while chest-deep waters flooded parts of Lamitan City.

In the Visayas, classes in all levels were suspended in storm-hit Eastern Samar and Bohol. —Joviland Rita/KBK/AOL, GMA Integrated News