Weather forecaster Adczar Aurelio told Manila Bulletin that although tropical storm “Falcon” is already on its way out, moderate to heavy rains may still pour on the western side of the country, which includes Metro Manila, Palawan, Pampanga, Tagaytay, Iloilo, Roxas, and Zamboanga.
He explained that moderate to heavy rains could not be overruled considering several factors. “Andyan kasi ang habagat [There’s the southwest monsoon] which also brings strong winds and rains tapos yung makakapal na [and then the thick] clouds and the high volume of water vapor na pwedeng higupin ng bagyo [that the tropical storm may draw],” Aurelio said.
With that, he said, there is 90 percent probability that what happened last Thursday could happen anew.
PAGASA hydrologist Elmer Caringal said Ipo, Binga, and Ambuklao Dams released water as the volume of water had already reached the spilling level. The water released from Ipo Dam merely flowed to Angat River, while that from Binga and Ambuklao Dams flowed to Roque Dam.
He said that while the water released from Ipo Dam could have aggravated flooding in some towns in Bulacan, Binga, and Ambuklao water was completely contained in Roque Dam whose water remains far from the spilling level.
With the continuous rains, PAGASA’s hydrometeorological division chief Dr. Susan Espinueva said that as of 12 p.m. Friday, Ipo Dam continues to release water using three gates at 420 cu.m./sec. With this, she said Angat Dam, the catch basin for Ipo Dam water spill, has risen to 197 meters, which is 13 meters below the spilling level 210.
Because of the rising level in Angat Dam, Espinueva said residents in nearby towns have already been warned of its possible consequences.
She also announced that La Mesa Dam was also reaching the critical level as water level is now 80 meters. Espinueva said that considering the continuous rains, La Mesa Dam may hit the overflow level of 80.15 in the next few hours.
According to PAGASA, the volume of rainwater dumped by “Falcon” Thursday, which flooded several parts of Metro Manila and other areas on the west side of the country, was estimated at 147.3 mm in 24 hours. Tropical storm “Ondoy,” which brought the worst flood in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon in the last 10 years, hurled some 300 mm of rainwater in just six hours.
PAGASA, however, expects “Falcon” to be out of Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) by tomorrow.
PAGASA weather bulletins showed that Falcon intensified as it acquired maximum sustained winds of 85 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 100 kph as it heads near Basco, Batanes.
Evacuation
In Marikina, some 1,197 families or 4,897 persons were evacuated from different barangays as part of their pre-emptive evacuation at around 10 p.m. Thursday
As of 6 a.m., local authorities monitored the level of the Marikina River at 16.1 meters, 0.99 meters below the critical level.
Five elementary schools – Concepcion, Nangka, Hilario Bautista and two more in Malanday – were designated as evacuation centers.
Local officials said that unlike in previous disasters, they did not have difficulty urging residents to evacuate, probably as a trauma caused by Typhoon Ondoy last year.
In Quezon City, residents of Roxas District and Bagong Silangan, Barangay Damayan, and Barangay Doña Imelda also had to be evacuated as water levels reached alarming levels the other night.
Residents of Bagong Silangan were particularly concerned with the water level at the La Mesa Dam.
Like in Marikina, residents of Bagong Silangan and the Roxas District conducted a pre-emptive evacuation, volunteering to head to the designated evacuation centers early.
In Central Luzon, at least 2,711 families or 11,895 individuals are displaced in the provinces of Zambales and Bataan, while at least P1.8 million worth of agricultural crops were destroyed in the two provinces. (With reports from Genalyn D. Kabiling, Rizal Obanil, Jeffrey D. Damicog, Freddie C. Velez, Mar T. Supnad, Mark Anthony N. Manuel)
