Pagasa warns: ‘Wilma’ to bring heavy rainfall

Local

CEBU is bracing for a full day of heavy, uninterrupted rainfall beginning Thursday evening as Tropical Depression (TD) Wilma moves closer to the Visayas.

Local officials have since activated emergency protocols and alerted flood-prone villages for possible preemptive evacuations.

Engineer Al Quiblat, chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) Mactan, said Cebu may receive 50 to 100 millimeters of rain from Thursday to Friday, equivalent to 250,000 to 500,000 drums of water per square kilometer.

“Mao na ang atong warning or advisory for 24-hour rainfall, advance information for proactive [preparation]. Ang forecast is today, Thursday to Friday,” Quiblat said.

He explained that the rainfall volume does not fall in one burst, but accumulates steadily and could intensify within the 24-hour window.

“Kini siya mao ni ang volume pero dili ni kay kausa ra ibubo, 24 hours ni siya. Mao ni’y giingong pwede light to moderate or even intense… Para katong naa sa mga low-lying areas, prone sa baha, magmatngon in advance,” he said.

He added that Pagasa has already disseminated detailed advisories to all local government units, noting that LGUs

“kahibaw na sila unsay angay buhaton.”

Quiblat said residents should expect rainfall to intensify by Thursday night, warning that accumulated rainwater “syempre, makabaha na ni siya.”

Cebu City Councilor Dave Tumulak, chairman of the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CCDRRMC), said all barangay captains have been formally alerted as early as 7:30 a.m. Thursday to prepare for possible flooding and conduct evacuations when necessary.

“We already properly informed the barangay captains to prepare and possibly conduct evacuation, especially [in] flood-prone areas. Amo na gipahibaw sa barangay nga naay coming nga pag-ulan,” he said.

The city’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) is now fully activated, while rescue and clearing equipment, including backhoes and heavy trucks, have been deployed in strategic locations.

“911 is okay na, ready nasad ang communications, including back-up power,” Tumulak added.

He appealed to residents to avoid complacency,

“We’d like to request our constituents not to be complacent because we have already learned lessons from Tino. If you are living in a danger zone, please evacuate,” Tumulak said.(TGP)