Rescue operations in 13 barangays of Jipapad town, Eastern Samar affected by massive flooding on November 21, 2023 assisted 2,715 families or 9,913 residents to safety; 160 families of which were relocated to various evacuation centers.
Personnel of the Jipapad Municipal Police conducted a rescue operation on residents trapped in their houses after floodwater rose reportedly to 10 feet at the highest level, and around 20 feet at the lowest level.
One of those rescued is an 89-year-old woman identified only as “Lola Remedios," a resident of Barangay Poblacion 1.
Eastern Visayas experienced heavy rainfall beginning on November 18, 2023, Saturday.
State weather bureau, Pagasa, said that a month's-worth of rainfall was dumped within 24 hours, measuring 445.7 millimeters.
“Napakataas po ng baha, kasi sa higher ground 10 feet na po yung baha, at saka yung sa lowest ground siguro 20 to 25 feet, so halos po lahat ng bahay sa second floor ay abot na po ng baha, mataas na yun,” Vicky Abestros, chief of the Jipapad Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said.
Abestros called on assistance for the affected residents' basic needs such as food, potable water, and medicines.
As of 2 p.m. of November 21, 2023 around 67,000 residents are affected by the shear line-induced rains in Eastern Vsiayas, according to the Office of the Civil Defense 8.
Of the 14,487 rescued, 5,117 are at the evacuation centers and 9,370 are living temporarily with their relatives.
These affected residents are from a total of 82 barangays in Region 8 (29 barangays in Northern Samar, 23 barangays in Eastern Samar, 29 barangays in Western Samar, and one barangay in the Province of Leyte).
Further, OCD recorded 10 minor landslides in different areas in Region 8.
OCD 8 Director Lord Byron Torrecarion said they will also investigate on reports that two persons were swept away by flood to their death in separate incidents in Calbayog City and Catbalogan City.
Eastern Visayas is on red alert status because of the massive floods.
