Flood Displaces 48 Families in San Carlos City

By Glazyl M. Jopson

BACOLOD CITY – A total of 48 families, or 177 individuals, from three barangays in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental, were displaced Saturday due to flooding caused by nearly three hours of torrential rain from a low-pressure area.

Joe Alingasa Jr., head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said the evacuees included 16 families or 62 individuals from Barangay 4; 17 families or 57 individuals from Barangay 5; and 15 families or 58 individuals from Barangay 6.

Aside from these areas, Barangays 1, 2, 3, Rizal and Palampas also experienced flooding from the heavy rainfall, which began around 4 p.m. and subsided by midnight.

Floodwaters rendered several national roads impassable, prompting immediate clearing operations.

A minor landslide was also reported along the Cabugan footroad in Barangay Guadalupe, while two houses sustained partial damage due to falling trees.

A citywide power outage occurred at 8:18 p.m. to allow clearing operations by the Northern Negros Electric Cooperative.

Alingasa said the affected families were temporarily sheltered in designated evacuation centers and received aid from the local government.

The evacuees were allowed to return home by Sunday morning after floodwaters had receded.

He said the city was caught off guard by the sudden downpour, noting that high temperatures had been recorded earlier that day.

Alingasa attributed the unusual weather pattern to climate change, calling it “an eye-opener” and emphasizing the need for climate adaptation.

While the city has made progress in flood mitigation through its drainage master plan, he acknowledged that drainage systems in some barangays still require improvement, especially in areas vulnerable to upland runoff.

Meanwhile, the Medina Water Treatment Plant temporarily halted operations at 5:22 p.m. Saturday due to rising water levels at the Andoon River, disrupting supply in 19 areas.

Operations resumed by 1:04 p.m. Sunday following full assessment and cleanup.

Despite the extent of flooding, Alingasa confirmed there were no casualties or major incidents.