More than 17,000 barangays face moderate to very high risks of flooding and rain-induced landslides as the southwest monsoon and a weather disturbance threaten to bring more heavy rains, prompting the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to order local governments to step up preventive measures.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau identified more than 17,000 barangays as moderately to very highly susceptible to flooding and rain-induced landslides from 17 to 19 August.

The DILG on Tuesday directed concerned local government units (LGUs) to conduct pre-disaster risk assessments and prepare for floods, flash floods, rain-induced landslides, debris flows, strong winds and other hydrometeorological hazards.

LGUs were also told to carry out preemptive or mandatory evacuations in communities repeatedly affected by floods and landslides when conditions warrant.

Health facilities and evacuation centers must have reliable power supplies and functioning generator systems, the department said.

Using hydrometeorological hazard maps, local governments were directed to identify and prioritize flood- and landslide-prone communities and preposition personnel and equipment to clear road obstructions and keep routes open for emergency and relief operations.

Local disaster risk reduction and management personnel were also instructed to closely monitor river levels in moderately vulnerable areas.

In high-risk zones, LGUs must implement preemptive evacuation protocols, particularly for households near active river systems, keep waterways clear and strictly restrict access to areas identified as prone to flash floods.

Residents in areas with low landslide susceptibility were advised to watch for warning signs, including sudden changes in water flow or clear water turning muddy.

LGUs in moderately susceptible areas should consider preemptive evacuation, particularly for people living at or near the foot of gullies and creeks.

Residents of highly susceptible areas were strongly urged to evacuate to safer ground.

People living in communities where landslides have already occurred must not be allowed to return until authorities have assessed the area and declared it safe, the DILG said.

The department stressed that LGUs must act before conditions deteriorate, particularly in communities already identified as vulnerable, to protect lives and prevent delays in emergency response operations.