Tropical Depression Verbena Wreaks Havoc on Olango Island
Tropical Depression Verbena caused significant damage to at least 21 houses in Barangay Pangan-an on Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City, following heavy rains and strong winds that battered the coastal community. The incident occurred during the early hours of Tuesday, November 25, 2025, with the storm proving more destructive than initially anticipated.
Greater Damage Than Previous Storms
According to Barangay Captain Junrey Casiao, the destruction from Verbena exceeded that caused by Typhoon Tino, which had damaged only five houses in the same area. Casiao revealed this comparison during an interview on Tuesday, highlighting the unexpected severity of the tropical depression's impact.
The barangay captain identified two primary factors that contributed to the extensive damage:
- Light construction materials used in many homes
- Proximity of houses to the coastline
Strong rainfall and wind coming directly from the seaside battered houses closest to the shore, causing partial structural failures in multiple residences.
Emergency Response and Evacuations
Despite initial forecasts suggesting minimal impact from the storm, with Cebu province under Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal Number 1, the situation escalated around 1 a.m. when winds intensified dramatically. This unexpected worsening of conditions prompted the evacuation of eight families living near the shoreline in Sitio Bonbon.
Casiao confirmed that while the damage to property was substantial, there was no significant flooding in the barangay and no injuries were reported as of Tuesday. The timely evacuation of coastal families likely prevented potential casualties.
The incident serves as a reminder of the vulnerability of coastal communities to tropical weather systems, even those classified as less intense tropical depressions.
