At least four houses along the cost of barangay Mag-aso, Amlan town were damaged by a water spout, locally known as buhawi, which occurred before nightfall Thursday.
The water spout was preceded by strong winds and heavy rain, forcing several families to rush to higher ground, where they spent the rest of the evening.
An initial report from the Philippine National Police in Amlan said at least four houses were slightly damaged by strong winds and heavy rains when the water spout released an undetermined volume of water.
Amlan police chief Sr. Insp. Nestor Rubia identified the owners of the damaged houses as Ricardo Eumague Tan and his brother, Junie E. Tan, Jaime Cataylo and Ramon Cabañog. No casualties were reported even as at least 15 families, totaling about 80 people, were evacuated to the Amlan gymnasium where they spent the night, Rubia added.
An undetermined number of families also fled their homes and sought higher ground, temporarily spending the night at the Amlan Elementary High School, situated on a hilltop, as town Mayor Bentham dela Cruz ordered their immediate evacuation, according to Rubia.
The evacuees had returned to their respective homes by Friday morning.
Motorists passing by Amlan town Thursday reported seeing the twister forming off the shores of Amlan and they watched it gain strength as it made its way to the town’s coastal areas.
Other villages of that town, according to Rubia, also experienced heavy rainfall but no damages had been reported.
Edsin Culi, chief meteorologist of the Philippines’ weather bureau, PAG-ASA, in Negros Oriental, said the volume of water accumulated by the water spout could not be determined.
According to him, water spouts are funnel-shaped formations that occur over a body of water, caused by clouds that develop them, although they are generally weaker than their counterpart land-based tornadoes.
Culi said a water spout is a rare occurrence in Negros Oriental. (PNA/Judy F. Partlow)
