Floods leave seven dead in the Philippines

Flash floods have left seven people dead in the southern Philippines after more than a month’s worth of rain fell in just one day.

Disaster relief agencies in the area said that thousands of people had to be evacuated from their homes on Monday.

Torrential downpours and a high tide left many areas under water. More than 6,800 people were forced to leave their homes as the water rose waist-high in Mindanao.

The city of Dipolog recorded a staggering 205mm of rain in the 24 hours up to 06:00 GMT on Tuesday. Dipolog’s average January rainfall is 99mm.

Around 300km to the east, Cagayan De Oro has been left under water. Disaster officials declared a state of calamity following the massive flooding in the city, and authorities carried out forced evacuations, especially for those living near the River Ipunan River.

The City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department said thousands of students and workers were left stranded in the city on Monday afternoon.

The heavy rains and landslides blocked dozens of roads,and affected the power supply to the city. It was eventually cut off by the Cagayan de Oro Electric Power and Lights Company.

Further north in Eastern Samar, Borongan had 136mm of rain on Monday. This brings their three-day total rainfall up to 306mm. The January average is 290mm.

Further showers are forecast over the next few days, but they not expected to be as heavy or persistent. It will take a while for the flood waters to recede and as a result warnings will stay in place for some time to come.