2010–11 Philippine floods

In December 2010, strong rains in some places in the central part of Visayas and the eastern section of Luzon and Mindanao caused floods in the Philippines. By January 12, 2011, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council counted those affected at 235,867 families or 1,230,022 people in 1,267 villages in 137 towns and 10 cities in 23 provinces.

## Causes

The causes of flood were blamed on a stationary front or called tail-end of a cold front and wind convergence. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said that the cold front would pass through Eastern Visayas and Central Visayas.

### December 2010

The first reports of flooding were at the Bicol Region provinces of Albay and Sorsogon. In late December, Albay governor Joey Salceda had placed his province under a state of emergency after the rains caused the deaths of two people and the displacement of 4,000. He also said residents in affected areas should evacuate. Fears of lahar flows from the recently active Mayon Volcano had been dismissed. In adjacent Sorsogon, 170 families had already been evacuated.

### January 1 to 5

At the start of the new year, the cold front moved to the central part of the Philippines, stretching a rain band from Southern Leyte to Misamis Oriental. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration forecast more rain until January 6 in these areas. At least five deaths had been confirmed: three children died after being buried by a landslide in Saint Bernard, Southern Leyte, while two others drowned in the same province. The town and five other municipalities in the province had also been without power. Several towns in Eastern Samar and Northern Samar  also reported flooding. Minor landslides were reported in Hinabangan, Samar and Tacloban. In Cebu City, a flight going to Siargao had been canceled, and landslides had also been reported.

More than 2,000 people were displaced in the Caraga due to the rains. A landslide killed a person in Monkayo, Compostela Valley, while three girls were reported missing in the area.

### January 6 to January 10

On January 6, the cold front that affected Caraga and Eastern Visayas moved to Bicol and brought more rains. This caused the evacuation of 8,200 people in the region.

By January 6, Butuan, Agusan del Sur towns of Bunawan and San Francisco, and Surigao del Sur were placed under state of calamity as additional seven deaths were recorded. Flood damage to government infrastructure in Caraga was 141 million Philippine pesos (US$3.2 million).

More than 80% of the evacuees in Albay were sent home after conditions improved on January 7. Classes that were suspended on January 6 reopened the next day except for schools that were used as evacuation centers. Meanwhile, the floods went down in Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley, but destroyed the crops of some 2,100 farmers. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council counted the damage to agriculture and infrastructure nationwide at 183 million pesos (US$4.1 million).

### January 23 onwards

By January 23, 2010 the death toll from the floods had risen to 68 with 26 others still missing. Another causes of flooding was the Wind Convergence.On January 26 heavy rain bought by the northeast monsoon fall on Cebu.

## Reaction

Salceda urged PAGASA to assign names to weather systems that are not storms that cause disruptions. Secretary of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Rogelio Singson also said in a DWIZ interview that PAGASA "should draw up a classification system, not just for typhoons but also for massive rainfall." PAGASA for their part had already installed automatic weather stations, and established a community-based early warning system.

The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), which had been in a decades-long insurgency, told its military arm the New People's Army to help in relief operations. The government and the CCP ended their ceasefire on January 3.

## Infobox (flood)

- **name**: 2010–2011 Philippine floods
- **duration**: December 2010-January 2011
- **total damages**: Philippine peso, ₱898,257,068
$20,396,723
- **total fatalities**: 40