‘Basyang’ death toll climbs to 12; rainfall double that of devastating ‘Sendong’

THE death toll from Tropical Depression “Basyang” (international name: Penha) has risen to 12 after it lashed Mindanao with strong winds and heavy rains. The rainfall volume was double that of Tropical Storm “Sendong” (Washi) in December 2011, which caused massive destruction in the region.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) reported that heavy floods inundated 30 barangays in the Caraga region, affecting more than 200,000 individuals.

Rainfall monitoring data from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) indicated that Basyang dumped twice the amount of rain into Iligan City compared to Sendong in 2011. A monitoring station in Tipanoy village measured 383 millimeters (mm) of rain from 8 a.m. on Thursday to 8 a.m. on Friday, while another station in Pugaan village measured 361 mm. The known 24-hour rainfall intensity of Sendong was 180 mm.

Despite the intense rainfall, only Tubod River (also called Iligan River) swelled this time, unlike in 2011 when Mandulog River also overflowed, affecting a larger part of Iligan City.

By early Saturday, Basyang had weakened into a low-pressure area (LPA) after making five landfalls across Mindanao and the Visayas, disrupting its structure as it crossed land.