Heavy rain driven by a shear line swept Northern Samar on January 5, 2026, causing widespread flooding and landslides that prompted pre-emptive evacuations of thousands of residents. No deaths or injuries were reported, thanks to early preparedness by officials. The province's 24 municipalities and 90 barangays were affected.
On Monday, January 5, 2026, a shear line—an area where winds from different directions converge—brought heavy rain to Northern Samar. This occurs when cool, dry winds from the northeast collide with warm, moist winds from the Pacific, leading to prolonged rain especially during the northeast monsoon season.
The weather affected 1,449 families, or about 5,332 people. Some 984 families, or 3,582 individuals, evacuated to 43 centers, while others sought shelter with relatives. In San Roque municipality, 119 people stayed in evacuation centers and 1,077 with host families.
Classes and government work were suspended province-wide, and the airport was declared non-operational. The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) reported that 24 municipalities, including 90 barangays, were impacted. Flooding occurred in 50 barangays, with landslides in Barangay Washington in Catarman, Barangay Mirador in Mondragon, and soil erosion in Trangue.
Despite the disruptions, all roads and bridges remained passable, and seaports and terminals continued operations. The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) raised rainfall warnings from yellow to orange between 12 pm and 5 pm as the weather system intensified. The provincial disaster response operations center was placed on red alert and operated round-the-clock.
In Bobon, agricultural losses from dead livestock and poultry were initially estimated at P500,000. No deaths, injuries, or missing persons were reported, according to PDRRMO head Rei Josiah Echano. “We activated the operations center early and implemented pre-emptive evacuation to ensure the safety of our residents,” Echano told Rappler. Pre-disaster assessments guided the evacuations.
Telecommunication services remained active, except for a complete outage at DITO. The PDRRMO deployed 20 personnel, 250 family food packs, 300 hygiene kits, and a floating asset to assist communities facing rising water levels, with dams reported above normal. The office continues to monitor conditions and has prepositioned resources in anticipation of further rainfall.
