BUTUAN CITY- Residents of 4 barangays namely Golden Ribbon, Mahogany, Buhangin and Mandamo have been ordered to evacuate their homes as precaution to continuous rain brought about by the tail end of a cold front.

Level 2 flood alert is raised here after the water level in Agusan River reached 2.51 meters as of 10 a.m. Some of the residents living near the river experienced knee-deep floods which even entered their homes.

The local government of Butuan is prioritizing the evacuation of families who are living along riverbanks, lakes, and low-lying and landslide prone areas.

Forced evacuation will be implemented for residents who will refuse to heed the preemptive evacuation order.

The City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council said they are in close coordination with the police and barangay officials for the evacuation efforts.

As per Proclamation No. 03 signed by Mayor Ronnie Vicente Lagnada, classes in pre-school, elementary and high school are suspended Thursday, January 19, until further notice.