OLONGAPO CITY — The downpour brought by a tropical depression dislocated 70,000 residents of this city when 15 villages were flooded.

Olongapo Mayor James Gordon Jr. said some houses were submerged in neck-deep water during high tide as rivers overflowed their banks, prompting residents to seek refuge on rooftops.

Rescue operations were conducted by the city government’s search and rescue group, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), and the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC).

Gordon said that the floods submer ged the villages of East and West Bajac Bajac, Gordon Heights, Sta. Rita, Old Cabalan, Mabayuan, Ilalim, Kababae, and Barrio Barreto.

Most of the affected people whose residences were in neck-deep water were brought to the evacuation areas such as the Olongapo City National High School (OCNHS) and the public elementary schools in Barangays Mabayuan, Sta. Rita, Cabalan and Tabacuhan.

The rains also triggered minor landslides that blocked a road and damaged at least two houses.

SBMA employees were allowed to go on leave last Tuesday due to the floods in Olongapo, where most of the workers live.

SBMA Administrator Armand Arreza noted that most of the employees resides in Olongapo City, adding that the agency had sent rescue teams to help the flood-stricken residents.

In other parts of Zambales, Gov. Amor Deloso said, the heavy rains forced some 7,000 residents in low-lying areas in Botolan town to abandon their homes as the water was as deep as 1.22 meters.

The 7,000 residents joined the hundreds of families from 10 Botolan villages still staying in six evacuation centers in the town.

The evacuation centers set up by the provincial government and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).

Deloso said that the national highway in Barangay San Juan was rendered impassable by the heavy rains, isolating Botolan, Iba, Palauig, Masinloc, Candelaria, and Sta. Cruz, all in Zambales, from the rest of Central Luzon.