EVACUATION here started early today ahead of the expected landfall of typhoon “Odette” in Caraga or Eastern Samar.

Michael Fabello of the Cagayan de Oro City Social Welfare and Development Office said 152 families or some 2,000 persons have sought shelter in elementary school soon after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) raised the orange alert level here today.

In one evacuation center in West City Central School in Barangay Carmen, more than 50 families huddled inside the gym.

Barangay Carmen officials brought hot soup to warm the evacuees many of them came wet from the relentless rain that started early Thursday dawn.

Fabello said since Cagayan de Oro is still under Signal 1, mandatory evacuations were not yet implemented

City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office chief Nick Jabagat said most of the streets were flooded by 10 am, Thursday.

Jabagat said a landslide in Sitio Macapaya in Barangay Camaman-an cut vehicular traffic between Cagayan de Oro and Libona town in Bukidnon.

“Floodwaters along near Centrio Ayala Mall were already waist-deep by 10 am,” Jabagat said.

Jabagat said barangay tanods stopped vehicles from plying CM Recto fronting SM Downtown Premier after the floodwaters spilled into the highway.

The Philippine Coast Guard prevented all vessels from venturing out to sea starting on Thursday morning.

Elsewhere, Dinagat Island provincial disaster risk reduction management officer Jeff Crisostomo, said howling winds have buffeted the houses on the island Thursday morning.

“We are concerned that it would grow worse tonight when Odette makes a landfall,” Crisostomo said.

He said 3,000 residents have taken shelter in the province’s 33 evacuation centers.

Capt. Teody Agustin, spokesperson of the Army 901st Infantry Brigade said the highway between Butuan City and San Francisco town in Agusan del Sur was cut off by a landslide in Sibagat town, Thursday.

In Lianga, Roger Enriquez of the NGO Balay Mindanaw said three-meter high storm surge force the evacuation of more than 200 families in Barangay Diatagon and San Agustin town.