BALER, Aurora – Heavy rains and strong winds dumped by typhoon Pedring rendered closed two national roads leading to this province, toppling power and communication lines in four central towns and isolating three northernmost towns from the rest of Central Luzon.
Erson Egargue, chief of the provincial disaster risk reduction council, said 71 families (200 persons) were evacuated to higher grounds here, in Dilasag and Dingalan towns due to flash floods.
Howling winds knocked down electric posts in this town, Dipaculao, Ma. Aurora and San Luis, resulting in a power interruption starting at 3 a.m. yesterday. Power has not been restored as of presstime.
A 37-year old fisherman, Christopher Madhos has been reported missing in Barangay Sabang since Monday.
Elmer Dabbay, district engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways, said heavy rains toppled trees, flooded spillways and rendered impassable the 120-kilometer Baler-Casiguran Road and the Baler-Bongabon Road crossing Barangay Villa in Ma. Aurora town.
The DPWH could not yet start road-clearing operations because of the floods. “Maybe we can start clearing operations on Wednesday floodwaters have subsided,” Dabbay said.
He said because there communication line in Casiguran and Dilasag are down, “we have no updates on the situation there.”
The three towns were also isolated from this capital town after landslides struck the landslide-prone Barangay Dianed and Barangay Abuleg in Dinalungan due to “Juaning” in July.
The Pantabangan-Canili Road remains as the only route leading to this province after the makeshift bridge in Villa was washed away by floods.
Gov. Bellaflor Angara-Castillo said they are still assessing the extent of the damage to properties, infrastructure and agriculture in the province.