Just one week after intense flash floods ravaged more than 76,000 Negrosanons across the cities of Silay, Taliay, Victorias, and neighboring localities, another series of sudden intense flooding has struck the island—this time in San Carlos City, Negros Occidental. Reports on the ground state that rivers and creeks in the city overflowed due to heavy rains that persisted since last night, Jan. 16, 2021.
According to the LGU Information Page of San Carlos, residents were caught by surprise as they state this is the first time the locals experienced flood water entering their houses. Residents were taken to various evacuation centers in the city, with brownouts hampering evacuation efforts.
Meanwhile, residents state that raining had only stopped on 11 am the next day, Jan. 17, 2021. Massive increase of water levels were also reported around 6 to 10 am in different areas around San Carlos City. Flood waters as of reporting (Jan 17, 2:00 pm), have not yet subsided, with many houses near the river washed out by the rampant floods.
Furthermore, no casualties have been reported so far according to the Information Office of San Carlos City.
City Environment Management Office: Debris Brought Heavy Downpour Caused Flood, Bottlnecked Stormwater Outlets
Engineer Author Batomalaque, Senior Environment Management Specialist of the City Environment Management Office stated that the heavy downpour caused debris from the mountainous areas of the city to clog up various San Carlos waterways, resulting to overpour and flooding of nearby residential areas as well as typical outlets for storm water. However, he emphasized that plastic waste was not a huge factor as they state the city has long addressed the issue, adding that the immediate recede of water is a good indiciation of a non-clogged system
Batomalaque also said that the volume of water coming down from mountains was too enourmous to be contained by existing water channels, remarking that they will fortify the city’s flood control plan, and stressed that Mayor Gustilo of San Carlos City is already planning on widening waterways, including the exits of creeks and rivers, especially in flood-prone Barangay 1.
Now More Than Ever: The Importance of Protecting the Environment
The Senior Environment Management Specialist also emphasized the importance of planting trees, a call that has been echoed extensively by environmentalists in the island. Eco-advocates from Youth For Climate Hope, Negrsonanon Young Leaders Institute Inc., Green Alert Negros, and GOES Socialists have also called for the take down of illegal structures in the Northern Negros Natural Park (NNNP), condemning the Protected Area Management Board of the local DENR for their incompetence. The remaining 3% forest cover of Negros Island, especially in NNNP, is said to be one of the few remaining natural fortifications protecting the island from further flooding.
Climate activists have also been vigilant in assuring that Negros Island remains free from coal-fired power plants. They also call for the declaration of a nationwide climate emergency to address the issue of global warming that has intensified rains, flooding, and rise of sea levels worldwide.
Paghimutad 