The Province of Eastern Samar has hoisted a Red alert status over towns near rivers and along the coastlines on May 23, 2024.

The alert is up after state weather bureau PAGASA issued an advisory on Tropical Depression "Aghon" (TD Aghon) expected to dump rains in Eastern Visayas and Bicol regions beginning Friday, May 24, 2024.

Eastern Samar Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office chief, Engr. Tomas Campomanes, in a phone interview, confirmed that the alert is hoisted over the towns of Jipapad, Dolores, Oras, Llorente, Can-avid, Maslog, Taft, and Arteche, and Borongan City in the south, as well as the towns of Balangiga, Quinapondan, and Lawaan in the north.

“Naka-red alert na po tayo after mag-issue ng weather advisory ang PAGASA, we have pre-positioned relief at our command center,” Campomanes said.

He said that the Province of Eastern Samar has about 100,000 individuals living in areas along major rivers - Ulot, Can-avid, Oras, and Suribao, and along coast lines.  

Eastern Samar is one of severely affected provinces in Eastern Visayas in the massive flooding in November 2023. 

To recall, heavy rainfall persisted for over three days brought about by the shear line that was then affecting most of the Visayas regions.

State weather bureau PAGASA said that a month's-worth of rainfall was dumped within 24 hours, which measured 445.7 millimeters, on November 18, 2023.