Tsunami threat causes Panic!

SOUTHERN LEYTE - A tsunami alert posted by the Philvocs caused mild panic along the western coastal areas of the province which were actually in no way threatened by the expected tsunami waves.

In barangay Asuncion and other coastal villages in Maasin City and the towns of Bontoc and Sogod residents had reportedly abandoned their homes and headed for the nearby hills.

Coastal residents in the City claimed they began panicking when the priests in the area informed them during mass of the level-two tsunami alert. “Many churchgoers left before the mass ended and headed for the hills,” said one worshiper. “The scene looked very much like the annual pilgrimage to the Mount Hanginan Shrine. Some thought it was the beginning of the end of the world and began praying.”

The reaction from the residents of the five Pacific Towns of Silago, Hinunangan, Hinudayan, Anahawan and San Juan which is part of the Pacific Basin and therefore within the path of the Tsunami triggered by the 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile was the exact opposite.

According to Mayor Evelyn Lee of Hinundayan she just texed the barangay captains of the municipality who then told coastal residents to move to higher ground, until the alert was lifted.
She said the people there did so in an orderly manner.

This was also the situation in San Juan where Mayor Federico Flores followed the same procedure and got the same response.

A positive result of the tsunami alert said Provincial Disaster Coordinating Czar Dodi Hernandez is that it showed the people were already “disaster conscious” and were therefore not complacent. He did not elaborate.
(By NOEME MONTALBO)

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