Residents in Sitio Exodus, Crossing Magallon, Moises Padilla were trapped on the rooftops of their homes as they awaited rescue from rising floodwaters brought by Typhoon Tino on Tuesday, November 4.
Jen Hilado told Brigada News FM Philippines that they had been stranded on the roof for more than two hours.
She said children were shivering from the cold while elderly residents struggled to endure the freezing temperature.
Brigada News FM Kabankalan contacted the Moises Padilla Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO), which said rescuers were having difficulty reaching the stranded individuals due to strong currents and dangerous conditions.
In the neighboring town of Isabela, several residents were also trapped on bamboo trees after floodwaters rose to nearly reach the roofs of houses in Hacienda San Vinancio, Barangay Bulad.
According to Sarah Antopina, her relatives have been stranded there since morning. She said they have been exposed to the cold and have not eaten as they continue to wait for rescuers to arrive.
Some of their family members remained stranded as of posting time, she said.
Brigada News also tried to reach Isabela’s emergency hotline, but the line remained busy.
Meanwhile, the Negros Occidental Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) reported that most of the damage caused by the typhoon occurred in northern Negros, which were earlier placed under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 4.
Power interruptions
The Negros Occidental Electric Cooperative (NOCECO), which covers areas from central to southern Negros, also reported power interruptions.
NOCECO said that during the onset of the typhoon, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) temporarily shut down its 69kV transmission lines as a safety measure, causing outages in parts of NOCECO’s service areas.
While the transmission line has since been restored, NOCECO said many areas still have fallen poles and damaged lines, making it unsafe to restore power immediately.
“Our crews are already on the ground inspecting lines and working on repairs,” NOCECO said in a statement. “Power will be restored as soon as it is safe to do so.”
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.