Over 30 families evacuated in Lemery, Batangas due to heavy rains

More than 30 families have been evacuated from Barangay Palanas in Lemery, Batangas, due to the incessant rains brought by the southwest.

According to the town’s Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, the flood was not yet high. Still, residents had to be evacuated because the water level was expected to rise due to the continuous downpour.

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“Hindi naman sa ganung kataasan pa, kaya sila umalis kasi continuous yung pag-ulan so pag continuous baka mamaya biglang maipit sila dun sa kanilang lugar sa area nila, baka hindi sila makalabas kaya minabuti nito na pumunta na sa evacuation center,” said MDRRMO-Lemery head, Jess Tolentino.

The men who are residents of the barangay are still left to guard their houses, but they will also follow their families, he said.

The evacuated residents are currently staying in the covered court of Lemery, where they set up modular tents for them.

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It is ensured that physical distancing will be followed especially if there is still a pandemic.

“One modular tent per family, ‘yun ang ginawa namin,” said Tolentino.

According to the MDRRMO, Barangay Palanas has been flooded since the Taal volcano erupted.

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Over 30 families evacuated in Lemery, Batangas due to heavy rains

“Ang buong Poblacion area po is flood prone area, pero mas binaha po ang Barangay Palanas, katulad ng pagputok ng bulkan mas binaha po ang Barangay Palanas,” he said.

Of the more than 40 barangays in Lemery, 19 are currently under surveillance.

The LGU expects that more residents will be evacuated if the rains do not stop.

Meanwhile, in the past 24-hour period, the Taal Volcano Network recorded thirty-five (35) volcanic earthquakes, including seventeen (17) volcanic tremor events having durations of one (1) to forty-nine (49) minutes, eighteen (18) low-frequency volcanic earthquakes, and low-level background tremor that has persisted since 07 July .

Alert Level 3 (Magmatic Unrest) now prevails over Taal Volcano. At Alert Level 3, magma extruding from the Main Crater could drive explosive eruption.

The public is reminded that the entire Taal Volcano Island is a Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ), and entry into the island and the high-risk barangays of Agoncillo and Laurel must be prohibited due to the hazards of pyroclastic density currents and volcanic tsunami should strong eruptions occur.

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