InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
At least 14 villages in La Union were submerged in knee- to neck-deep floods as tropical storm "Helen" (international code name: Kai-tak) pounded Northern Luzon with heavy rains and strong winds.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Ilocos region reported that theaffected villages in La Union were in the City of San Fernando, thetowns of Bacnotan, Bauang, and Luna.
Knee-deep floods were reported in Cabaroan, Biday, Tanqui, and Dalangayan West villages in San Fernando City.
Meanwhile, floodwaters were chest-deep in the villages of Nagsimbaanan and Poblacion in the town of Bacnotan as of 11 a.m.
Knee-deep floods were being experienced in Bgy. Raois also in Bacnotan town.
The OCD said affected residents were either rescued or evacuated andmost of the roads were closed to vehicles due to floods.
Villages of Baccuit Norte, Paringao, Central West and Quinavite inBauang were also reported to be under water but the OCD said the flood was slowly subsiding in the area.
Neck-deep floods were reported in the villages of Rimos 3, 4, and 5along the Luna-Bangar road in Luna town.
At least two persons died from drowning in the region, the OCD said.The fatalities were identified as Armando Borbon from Basista, Pangasinan and Andrew Batara from Dingras, Ilocos Norte.
A total of 1,801 families or almost 10,000 persons were affected inthe provinces of Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Norte, and Ilocos Sur. Some 135 families or 592 persons were evacuated.
The OCD in region went on full alert as several provinces in the areawere placed under storm signals as "Helen" made landfall in Isabela on Wednesday.
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