108 families affected by floods in South Cotabato town

KORONADAL CITY — At least 108 families in three barangays in Norala, South Cotabato, were affected by flooding caused by heavy rains Tuesday night.

Rolly Doane Aquino, head of the South Cotabato Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), said flooding began at 8:45 p.m. and affected barangays San Miguel, Lopez Jaena, and Poblacion.Based on initial reports his office received, at least 50 families were affected in San Miguel, eight in Lopez Jaena, and another 50 in Poblacion.

READ: Easterlies to bring rains over parts of PH on Oct. 13Aquino said the number could still increase as local disaster teams continued checking the affected communities, particularly in Poblacion.Personnel from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), police, Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Youth Volunteer Force, and barangay officials worked together to rescue and evacuate residents from flooded areas.Authorities brought rescued families to evacuation centers in their respective barangays for temporary shelter.The PDRRMO is expected to distribute immediate assistance to affected families on Wednesday.Local disaster teams continued monitoring the situation and checking the extent of the damage in affected communities.Authorities have yet to determine the full extent of the flooding, including the total number of affected families and damaged properties, as assessments were still ongoing. /coa