At around 12:30 in the morning on Thursday, October 24, Typhoon Kristine made landfall in Divilacan, Isabela.

Floodwaters in Alicia town have reached waist-deep, and some houses have been flooded.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) has been assisting in the evacuation of some residents.

Some fallen trees are also blocking roads.

Overflow bridges in Ilagan City are completely submerged in water.

The floodwaters in Barangay Sta. Barbara has exceeded human height.

Some bridges and roads have been entirely submerged in water and are no longer passable.

The overflow bridges in Echague have also been engulfed by the river.

Seven barangays have been flooded in the town, and over 100 residents have been evacuated.

According to Ashley Maureen Santos of Municipal Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Office (MDRRMO) Echague, “We have also ordered forced evacuations for those who are too close to the water because if the water rises further, they will be trapped in their homes and won’t be able to get out.”

In the town of Palanan, the river has reached a critical level.

Almost 400 families were evacuated to schools due to the storm surge.

“We are continuing with preemptive evacuations because we cannot say yet that everyone is safe, even if the typhoon has moved away. It brought stronger rain and wind,” John Deri of MDRRMO Palanan assured.

In the province of Cagayan, the Cagayan River is close to reaching critical levels.

The Guinaco Bypass Road has also been swallowed by floodwaters.

“We are not spared from the water dumped by Typhoon Kristine in the upstream provinces like Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and Isabela, as well as the water dumped on the Sierra Madre, Caraballo Mountain Ranges, and Apayao, which will all flow down to us,” said Rueli Rapsing, Head of the Provincial Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) Cagayan.

The Ferry-Itawes Bridge in Tuao town is no longer safe to cross.

According to the PDRRMO, there is a possibility of a repeat of what happened during Typhoon Ulysses in 2020 when the entire province was submerged in floodwaters.

Around 1,700 families or 3,000 individuals from 17 towns have been evacuated to various evacuation centers in the province, but this number may still increase.

Authorities are working hard to repack food packs for distribution to affected residents.

The roof of Licerio Antiporda Sr. National High School in Buguey was blown off.

One lane is passable on the Nueva Vizcaya-Benguet Road in the town of Kayapa due to a landslide on the evening of Wednesday, October 23.

The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Region 2 is still verifying whether there are any casualties or injuries due to Typhoon Kristine’s onslaught in Cagayan Valley.

**CHARLES NIKKO LIMON