DAVAO DEL SUR – Heavy rains due to the combined effects of the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) and Low Pressure Area (LPA) have flooded a huge part of Malalag town in the southern Philippine province of Davao del Sur.
A bridge also collapsed due to flash floods in the town. Residents in low-lying villages and near the rivers have evacuated following heavy rains since Wednesday. There were no immediate reports of casualties.
The highway connecting Digos City to General Santos City is also impassable due to the landslide in the Baluyan area. Travelers were advised to use the alternate highway passing Makilala town in North Cotabato province via Tacurong City in Sultan Kudarat province.
The ITCZ appears as a band of clouds consisting of showers, with occasional thunderstorms, that encircles the globe near the equator. The solid band of clouds may extend for many hundreds of miles and is sometimes broken into smaller line segments.
While LPAs are places where the atmosphere is relatively thin. Winds blow inward toward these areas. This causes air to rise, producing clouds and condensation. LPAs tend to be well-organized storms.
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| Heavy rains flooded many areas in Davao del Sur's Malalag town and a bridge is damaged due flash floods in these photos taken Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022. (Jeoffrey Maitem) |
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said the combined effects of the ITCZ and LPA will bring moderate to heavy rains over Davao and CARAGA and other areas in Mindanao, including Visayas.
“Under these conditions, flooding and rain-induced landslides are likely, especially in areas that are highly or very highly susceptible to these hazards as identified in hazard maps and in areas with significant antecedent rainfall,” the agency said.
It also urged the public and disaster risk reduction and management offices in those areas to take all necessary measures to protect life and property.
The Philippines endures about 20 tropical storms and typhoons annually, some of which are devastating. Just last month, more than a hundred people died due to a huge mudslide set off by Tropical Storm Nalgae that killed over a hundred people in southern Philippines. (Jeoffrey Maitem)
