BUTUAN CITY – Barangays near the Agusan River and in low-lying areas remained flooded Tuesday, resulting in hundreds of families being dislocated from affected areas in Caraga region’s economic center.

The Agusan River is the Philippines’ third-longest river spanning 350 kilometers from the mouth of the river in Butuan Bay to its source in Mount Tagubud in Pantukan Town, Compostela Valley. Butuan is at the receiving end of water from at least 11 tributaries.

The weather in Butuan City improved but floods did not recede enough for evacuees to return home. The water level remained elevated especially during high tide.

More than 300 families continued to stay in evacuation centers.

Some residents, such as Marilou Paso, a resident of Barangay Mahogany, returned home Monday morning. However, her family decided go back to an evacuation center the following day because their house was waist-deep in water.

“We went home yesterday morning, the water level in our area was only knee-deep, but this morning it had gone as high as my waist. That's why we decided to return here to the evacuation center,” Paso said.

The water level in Agusan River reached 2.95 meters as of 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday. The city’s flood alert level remained at Orange Alert.

Rescuers and barangay workers conducted preemptive evacuation for residents living along riverbanks in the barangays of Obrero, Mahogany and barangay Buhangin.

Junior High classes were suspended while evacuees continued to occupy some of Agusan National High School’s classrooms. Butuan Central Elementary School also suspended classes while some of the classrooms were occupied by locals affected by floods.