By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Over 13,000 families from 42 barangays in Negros Occidental’s third district were affected by the flash floods that hit the area on New Year’s Day, a report from the Provincial Incident Management Team showed.

The floods were caused by heavy rains at the upland areas that resulted in strong river current causing the waters to overflow.

Dr. Zeaphard Caelian, head of the Provincial Disaster Management Program Division (PDMPD), said over the weekend that the hardest hit area was Victorias City where 8,976 families from 17 barangays were affected.

There was also one recorded death after 26-year-old Ramil Panes, who was reported missing since New Year’s Eve after a drinking spree with friends, was found dead in the shoreline of Barangay 6-A in Victorias City the next day.

PDMPD damage report also showed that a total of 37 houses were either washed out or totally damaged while 127 others were partially damaged in Victorias City’s flash floods claimed by residents to be as deep as six feet.

In Silay City, 706 families were affected by the flooding that started late evening of December 31 until early morning of January 1, the report said.

There were also five partially damaged houses and 100 livestock damaged in Silay.

Talisay City, meanwhile, reported that 3,990 families in 12 of its barangays were affected by floods.

There were also 17 totally damaged and 31 partially damaged houses and three pump boats that were partially damaged and one totally damaged in Talisay.

Moreover, the wall of the Inocencio V. Ferrer School of Fisheries in the city’s Barangay Zone 3 collapsed.

The municipality of EB Magalona has not yet submitted its damage report to the provincial government as of January 3.

The four local government units immediately provided hot meals and relief packs to the evacuated families.

Caelian added that all the evacuated residents have already returned home as of press time./DGB, WDJ