Laguna de Bay surpasses maximum level; Caliraya Dam releases water

SAN PEDRO CITY –– The water level in Laguna de Bay rose to 13.06 meters above sea level, surpassing its maximum or critical level of 12.50 meters and spawning flood across shoreland areas in Laguna province.

Emil Hernandez, the Environmental Regulations Department chief of the Laguna Lake Development Authority, said the water level increases at an average rate of four inches (10 cm) per hour, given the amount of rainfall being dumped into the lake by Typhoon Ulysses since Wednesday evening.

The 13.06 meter-level was recorded at 8:40 a.m. Thursday, he said.

Hernandez said they were hoping the lake water would not breach the 14-meter level reached during Typhoon “Ondoy” in 20009. “But at most, it could hit 13.50 meters if the rainfall intensity does not improve by noon.”

In Cavinti, Laguna, the Caliraya Dam also released water early on Thursday, hours after the National Power Corporation issued a public warning that the dam was close to its 288 meter-spilling level, said Laguna Disaster Risk Reduction and Management officer Aldwin Cejo.

As of 7 a.m., at least 2,221 families (8,311 persons) were in evacuation centers across Laguna province, he said.

Knee to chest-deep flood water was reported in the lakeshore villages of Landayan and Cuyab in this city.

LZB