Heavy Rain Floods Kalibo

KALIBO -Unprecedented quantities of rainfall recently deluged Kalibo causing chaos to transportation systems, businesses, and local residents. Almost twelve inches of rain fell within two days causing streets and rice paddies to flood and drainage systems to overflow.

Our civic leaders, aware of the potential consequences should the deluge persist, were quick to react. On December 7th Mayor Charito Navarrosa in Libacao called Mayor Lachica in Kalibo to enquire how much rain had fallen in Kalibo that day. He was concerned  that the inordinate amount of rain that had fallen in Libacao would move downstream to further exacerbate the rising levels of water in Kalibo.

Mayor William Lachica immediately mobilized the agencies concerned with flood control including various heads of office of the municipality of Kalibo,  the Kalibo Auxiliary police and Fire Department, together with those trained in rescue operation and others.

That same evening just under one hundred municipal employees spent the night on the third floor of the Municipal Conference Hall in readiness for an emergency response should it be required.

The two days of almost continuous rain caused concern and anxiety to many local residents. Radio stations DYYM and DYRU took it upon themselves to give regular updates on the situation and reassured their listeners that there was no cause for panic.

They explained that water was not flowing down from Libacao as had been originally feared, and that the Aklan River was maintaining it’s normal level.

Some establishments were inevitably affected by local flooding including the Pilot Elementary School in Mabini St., Kalibo Elementary School in XIX Martyrs St., the Aklan College Catholic School, Royal Supermarket, RC supermarket, Gaisano, along with other establishments on Roxas Avenue.

       The front of the Municipal Cemetery was flooded up to the junction of the road to Banga, and also a portion of Osmena Avenue adjacent to he Ceres station. The corner of Conception St. and Veteran’s Avenue extension were flooded as well as asection of Bliss Site where the water was knee deep./TE