Verbena may trigger flashfloods

“Ang atong mga waterways, rivers nato ang capacity is na reduce because of dissiltation, katong mga loose soil tungod ni Tino from the upstream so na deposit naman siya so mabaw na ang kasapaan, mga drainage,” Quiblat said.

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Quiblat noted that Verbena’s track shifted slightly south, from its initial CARAGA-Leyte-Central Cebu path, and is now projected to pass through CARAGA, then Bohol, before moving toward southern Cebu. Initial landfall was expected yesterday evening over the CARAGA region, followed by Bohol close to dawn, and southern Cebu today.

Quiblat stressed that the specific landfall point in Cebu “does not matter as long as we are prepared for the heavy rains.” He said Verbena is not expected to intensify into a tropical storm before landfall and is likely to maintain its current strength while crossing the Visayas.

What residents should monitor, he said, is the potential for flash floods, flooding, and landslides, especially in areas already weakened by previous weather disturbances.

On the other hand, Cebu is still under storm signal number one, based on PAGASA’s Tropical Cyclone Bulletin number 5 issued at 5pm yesterday. The weather bureau said that Verbena has made landfall over Bayabas, Surigao del Sur and then over Agusan del Norte.

PAGASA added that Verbena may slightly intensify before landfall but will likely cross Visayas as a tropical depression. It may reach tropical storm category either before reaching northern Palawan or once over the West Philippine Sea. It added that Verbena may peak at severe tropical storm category while in the middle of the West Philippine Sea north of Kalayaan Islands.

CEBU CITY ON RED ALERT

Cebu City has raised its disaster status to Red Alert as multiple weather systems converge over the Visayas, prompting urgent warnings of torrential rains and possible flooding.

City Councilor Dave Tumulak, chair of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CCDRMC), said the most dangerous hours---based on forecasts from PAGASA---are expected between 10 p.m. tonight until 3 a.m. tomorrow.