By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

A total of 1,015 families in Negros Occidental were pre-emptively evacuated in preparation for the effects of Typhoon “Betty” over the weekend.

In Hinoba-an town, authorities evacuated 793 families from the villages of Sangke, Bacuyangan, Bulwangan, Asia, Alim, Pook, Poblacion I, and Talacagay.

About 67 families in Sipalay City’s Gil Montilla and Manlucahoc villages were also evacuated after the locality started to experience rains, the local government unit said.

Tents have been set up by the local City Social Welfare Development Office in the evacuation centers, while food packs have also been distributed.

In E.B. Magalona town, 19 families in one village were also evacuated.

As part of preparations, its Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office conducted an information campaign in all 23 barangays, reminding residents of the dangers of storm surge, floods and landslides brought by the typhoon.

The municipal agencies also conducted clearing and declogging of all waterways on Saturday, May 27.

As of yesterday morning, Typhoon “Betty” was last spotted 630 kilometers east of Cagayan province’s Tuguegarao City, with maximum sustained winds of 175 kilometers per hour (kph) and gusts of up to 215 kph.

There are no storm warning signals raised in the Visayas./DGB, WDJ