Monsoon Flood Toll: 85

The death toll from several days of heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon enhanced by typhoon Haikui jumped to 85 while the affected population has breached the three million mark, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Sunday.

From the latest NDRRMC bulletin, 62 of the fatalities were due to drowning, 12 were buried in landslied, and the rest were either hit by fallen trees, struck by lightning, or had a cardiac arrest. Seven people remain missing.

The affected population, on the other hand, has exceeded the three million mark. As of reporting time, the NDRRMC said that based on the data from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), 679,057 families or 3,067,500 people in 2,306 barangays (villages) in 167 towns and 36 cities mostly in Metro Manila and Luzon were affected by the heavy rains and massive floods.

Of these, 159,447 or 768,989 people are currently being served inside and outside evacuation centers.

The NDRRMC reported likewise indicated that 92,093 families or 430,125 people who were displaced by the floods are still temporarily staying in 948 evacuation centers.

Previous NDRRMC report showed that there were 103,673 families or 486,785 people in 1,076 evacuation centers as of Saturday night. But as the weather improved and the floods subside, some of the evacuees have returned to their homes.

“There has been a minor increase in the total number of families affected while there is a significant decrease of evacuation centers as evacuees are expected to return to their homes as the damaging effects of heavy rains subside,” said the NDRRMC.