CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – Flood alert level warnings were issued yesterday to low lying parts of Pampanga despite the lifting of all typhoon signals.
Heavy volumes of floodwaters from Aurora and Nueva Ecija were yet expected to flow down to the province, threatening the towns of Candaba, Arayat, Apalit, Sasmuan and San Simon.
Angie Blanco, head of the Provincial Risk Reduction and Disaster Management Council (PRRDMC) said that as Labuyo veered away north yesterday morning, the Pampanga River level in Candaba had peaked to 4.47-meter alert level status.
In Arayat, the river’s level rose from 6.77 to the 7.52- meter alarm level.
As noon approached, the Pampanga River waters at Barangay Cupang, Arayat were at 3.5 meters below spilling level, while at Barangay Bebe Anac, Masantol, the depth was at 1.5 meters to spilling level.
In San Juan, Apalit and San Simon town, the Pampanga River was still one meter below spilling level.
Blanco noted that the water level of the Pampanga River in Candaba town was expected to flow over at the cut-off channel in Barangay Pasig.
“Portions of a dike measuring about 10 meters at the Maasim River was breached causing floodings in Pulung Gubat, Vizal Sto. Nino and Vizal Sto. Cristo (Candaba). Six houses made of light materials were inundated at Vizal Sto. Cristo, but there were no casualties,” reported Candaba Mayor Rene Maglanque.
Except for three barangays in Candaba, the PRRDMC noted that other parts of the province remained free from flooding as of noon yesterday.
In a report, the PRRDMC noted “close coordination with PAGASA regarding flood levels of critical areas in Candaba, Arayat, Apalit, Sasmuan and San Simon since we are expecting flood levels to rise due to heavy rains in Aurora and Nueva Ecija.”
The report also said Vice Gov. Dennis Pineda led a team of government engineers and members of the PRRDMC in inspecting the so-called tail dike in the area of Sta. Rita town.
“Backhoes on barges were mobilized to start desilting some portions going to Sta. Ursula to divert the flow of water to San Francisco River. Thereafter the need to put sandbags and bamboo stakes to temporarily close the box culverts to prevent floodings in San Francisco I and Sta. Catalina (in Sta. Rita town),” the report added.
