2010–11 Philippine floods

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2010–2011 Philippine floods
How long: December 2010-January 2011
Deaths: 40[1]
Damages: 898,257,068[2]
$20,396,723

In December 2010, strong rains in some places in the central part of Visayas and the eastern section of Luzon and Mindanao caused floods in the Philippines.[3] By January 12, 2011, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council counted those affected at 235,867 families or 1,230,022 people in 1,267 villages in 137 towns and 10 cities in 23 provinces.[4]

Causes[change | change source]

The causes of flood were blamed on a stationary front or called tail-end of a cold front and wind convergence. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said that the cold front would pass through Eastern Visayas and Central Visayas.

Floods[change | change source]

December 2010[change | change source]

The first reports of flooding were at the Bicol Region provinces of Albay and Sorsogon. In late December, Albay governor Joey Salceda had placed his province under a state of emergency after the rains caused the deaths of two people and the displacement of 4,000. He also said residents in affected areas should evacuate. Fears of lahar flows from the recently active Mayon Volcano had been dismissed. In adjacent Sorsogon, 170 families had already been evacuated.[5]

January 1 to 5[change | change source]

At the start of the new year, the cold front moved to the central part of the Philippines, stretching a rain band from Southern Leyte to Misamis Oriental. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration forecast more rain until January 6 in these areas. At least five deaths had been confirmed: three children died after being buried by a landslide in Saint Bernard, Southern Leyte, while two others drowned in the same province. The town and five other municipalities in the province had also been without power. Several towns in Eastern Samar and Northern Samar also reported flooding. Minor landslides were reported in Hinabangan, Samar and Tacloban. In Cebu City, a flight going to Siargao had been canceled, and landslides had also been reported.[6]

More than 2,000 people were displaced in the Caraga due to the rains. A landslide killed a person in Monkayo, Compostela Valley, while three girls were reported missing in the area.[6]

January 6 to January 10[change | change source]

On January 6, the cold front that affected Caraga and Eastern Visayas moved to Bicol and brought more rains. This caused the evacuation of 8,200 people in the region.[7]

By January 6, Butuan, Agusan del Sur towns of Bunawan and San Francisco, and Surigao del Sur were placed under state of calamity as additional seven deaths were recorded. Flood damage to government infrastructure in Caraga was 141 million Philippine pesos[7] (US$3.2 million).

More than 80% of the evacuees in Albay were sent home after conditions improved on January 7. Classes that were suspended on January 6 reopened the next day except for schools that were used as evacuation centers.[8] Meanwhile, the floods went down in Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley, but destroyed the crops of some 2,100 farmers.[9] The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council counted the damage to agriculture and infrastructure nationwide at 183 million pesos[10] (US$4.1 million).

January 23 onwards[change | change source]

By January 23, 2010 the death toll from the floods had risen to 68 with 26 others still missing.[11] Another causes of flooding was the Wind Convergence.On January 26 heavy rain bought by the northeast monsoon fall on Cebu.

Reaction[change | change source]

Salceda urged PAGASA to assign names to weather systems that are not storms that cause disruptions. Secretary of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Rogelio Singson also said in a DWIZ interview that PAGASA "should draw up a classification system, not just for typhoons but also for massive rainfall." PAGASA for their part had already installed automatic weather stations, and established a community-based early warning system.[12]

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), which had been in a decades-long insurgency, told its military arm the New People's Army to help in relief operations. The government and the CCP ended their ceasefire on January 3.[13]

References[change | change source]

  1. "More deaths, misery from PH rains". Inquirer.net. Agence France-Presse. 12 January 2011. Archived from the original on 14 January 2011. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  2. "NDRRMC: Damage to property from two weeks of floods close to P900M". GMANews.tv. 2011-01-12. Retrieved 2011-01-13.
  3. "Floods displace 452,999 persons in 19 provinces". Manila Bulletin. Elena L. Aben, Mike U. Crismundo, Raymund F. Antonio and Ellalyn B. De Vera. 2011-01-05. Retrieved 2011-01-05.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  4. "NDRRMC: Death toll from floods climbs to 40". GMANews.tv. 2010-01-12. Retrieved 2011-01-13.
  5. Recuenco, Aaron (2010-12-30). "Massive flooding triggers mass evacuation in Albay, Sorsogon". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 2011-01-05.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Alave, Kristine (4 January 2011). "5 dead as floods, slides hit Visayas, Mindanao". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 7 January 2011. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  7. 7.0 7.1 Recuenco, Aaron (2010-12-30). "1,576 Albay families evacuated as rains fall over Bicol again". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 2011-01-05.
  8. Nasol, Rey (2010-01-07). "45,000 evacuees in Albay return home". Inquirer Southern Luzon. Archived from the original on 2011-01-08. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  9. Lim, Frinston (2010-01-07). "Floods subside in Davao Norte, Compostela Valley". Inquirer Mindanao. Archived from the original on 2011-01-09. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  10. Evangelista, Katherine (2010-01-07). "Crop, infrastructure damage hits P183M–disaster agency". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Archived from the original on 2011-01-08. Retrieved 2010-01-08.
  11. "Death toll from heavy rains climbs to 68". Philippine Star. January 23, 2011. Archived from the original on September 6, 2012. Retrieved January 23, 2011.
  12. "Govt execs call for warning signal system for heavy rains". GMANews.tv. 2011-01-05. Retrieved 2010-01-06.
  13. "CPP orders NPA fighters to help in disaster, relief ops". GMANews.tv. 2011-01-05. Retrieved 2010-01-06.