By Richard D. Meriveles and Julius D. Meriveles
BACOLOD CITY – Heavy rainfall that lasted for hours caused flashfloods even on busy city streets here as a low-pressure area off Mindanao brought torrential rains across the country.
The local risk reduction office reported flashfloods in several areas like in the vicinity of the SM City Mall at the Reclamation Area, northern villages like Bata and Mandalagan, and even along BS Aquino Drive.
At La Salle Avenue, people had to wade in rising floodwaters that covered the bridge.
As of press time, people, mostly students, are stranded in colleges and universities waiting for public utility vehicles.
At the Carlos Hilado Highway or the Circumferential Road, traffic was sluggish as flooding was reported in front of the Government Center and the congressional office of Rep. Greg Gasataya with whom the public works office had been coordinating for a flood control and drainage improvement project.
Taxis were hard to hail in the rain, and some found it hard to book a ride on their smartphones.
Some passengers were forced to go back to their offices or schools to wait for the rain to let up.
Disaster czar Jose Maria Vargas said the heavy rains could have reached up to 80mm or a violent shower causing a rise in floodwaters that cannot drain fast enough to the sea.
Elsewhere in Negros Occidental, provincial disaster chief Zaephard Caelian said there have been no reports of flooding or landslides.
