The twister that hit Bacolod City Thursday noon caused at least P100,000 in damage to properties, Joemarie Vargas, head of the City Risk Reduction Management Council, said yesterday.

The twister toppled trees in its path, destroyed sidewalk eateries, ripped off roofs, knocked down fences, and damaged several parked vehicles.

Vargas said twisters are formed when the hot air from the ground and the cold air in the atmosphere converge. Twisters seldom hit Bacolod City as the area is not considered a “tornado alley”, he said.

The last time a tornado hit Bacolod was two years ago when it destroyed houses by the shorelines, a gasoline station and variety stores in Barangays Tangub, Singcang-Airport and Pahanocoy, records from the CRRMC showed.

Vargas said huge twisters only hit wide spaces, but because Bacolod is an urban area with a lot of structures, the twisters formed in the city are only small ones.

The public should be vigilant because, like earthquakes, the occurrence of twisters is unpredictable, he said.

In case a twister hits, people are advised not go out of their houses or buildings. People who are on the streets are also advised to look for something to grab and hold on to when twisters hit.*APN

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