Up to chest-high floods hit Palawan, Oriental Mindoro due to shear line, Amihan

The shear line and Northeast Monsoon or Amihan caused up to chest-high floods in some areas in Palawan and Oriental Mindoro, according to a report on GMA Integrated News’ Unang Balita on Monday.

In Palawan, a child was rescued after a van was washed away by floods in Barangay Isaub in Aborlan town on Sunday evening, GMA Integrated News’ James Agustin reported. The number of passengers in the van has yet to be determined.

Some ducks and carabao drowned in Barangay Plaridel. More fields in the town were also submerged in flood.

According to the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, over 1,000 people left their homes and stayed in evacuation centers due to the threat of the floods.

In Narra town, nearly 900 residents also evacuated.

Up to chest-high floods were reported in Puerto Princesa City. Some soldiers helped rescue affected residents. The Philippine Red Cross used their rescue boats to evacuate children.

Nine barangays were also affected by floods in Puerto Princesa, the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) said. Evacuation of affected residents is still ongoing.

State weather bureau PAGASA said the shear line brought rains over Palawan.

PAGASA weather specialist Ana Clauren-Jorda said around 200 millimeters of rainfall were recorded in Palawan.

“After ng torrential na pagbuhos ng pag-ulan ay mga moderate to heavy rains pa rin po silang naranasan sa mga sumunod na oras kahapon kaya mas dumami yung tubig po na nag-cause ng pagbaha sa Palawan area,” she told GMA Integrated News’ Unang Balita in an interview.

(After the torrential downpour, they still experienced moderate to heavy rains in the following hours yesterday, so the rainwater increased, causing flooding in the Palawan area.)

Meanwhile in Oriental Mindoro, the Alag River rose to a critical level. Authorities are monitoring the situation of the river.

Some roads were not passable due to floods.

PAGASA said the shear line and the Northeast Monsoon or Amihan also caused the rains in Oriental Mindoro.

According to Jorda, the shear line will also affect and bring up to 100 mm rainfall over Eastern Visayas on Monday.

She added that light to moderate rains are expected over Bicol and other parts of Mimaropa.

The effects of the shear line will last until Wednesday and the easterlies will be dominant in the middle of the week that may bring rains in the Mindanao area, according to Jorda.—Joviland Rita/AOL, GMA Integrated News