By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Several parts of Negros Occidental experienced flooding or landslides between Monday afternoon to Tuesday morning following the heavy rains brought by Tropical Storm “Jolina.”

In San Carlos City, Mayor Renato Gustilo confirmed that one lane of the city’s national highway in Barangay Rizal was blocked after a landslide took place.

Although part of the road remained passable to traffic with some difficulty, Gustilo said he immediately ordered to have the road cleared of debris in order to resume normal traffic for vehicles in the area.

Yesterday morning, meanwhile, La Castellana Mayor Rhumyla Nicor-Mangilimutan posted a live video on social media showing zero visibility in the town during a heavy downpour.

Fallen trees, rocks, and other debris caused by a small landslide also blocked one of the town’s major roads, but the local police were able to remove the debris and reopened it to traffic.

The town’s Barangay Robles was also inundated with at least four houses reported to have been either destroyed or damaged due to a flash flood.

The affected residents were all able to evacuate in time, however, they noted that their livestock such as chickens and pigs were swept away by the rising flood waters.

Mangilimutan immediately ordered the town’s social welfare and development office to provide assistance to the affected families.

The town’s local disaster risk reduction and management office is still estimating the cost of damages caused by the flooding as of this writing.

In Sipalay City, a road in Barangay Mambaroto was also flooded yesterday morning, although the roads remained passable even to light traffic./DGB, WDJ