High tide, floods swamp low-lying areas in Central, North Luzon

GO WITH THE FLOW A traffic enforcer ensures that vehicles flow smoothly at Dagupan City’s commercial district despite the high tide on Thursday. Many Dagupeños have learned to live with floods and the rising tide as the city faces Lingayen Gulf and is crisscrossed by seven rivers. —WILLIE LOMIBAO

DAGUPAN CITY—Several low-lying areas in this city and the provinces of Pampanga, Bulacan and Bataan have been inundated in the past four days due to high tide that reached more than 1.21 meters (4 feet), authorities said on Thursday.

In Dagupan, the city’s tide monitoring data showed high tide would start around 7 a.m. and would peak at 9:30 a.m. before receding by 2 p.m.

Situated in the northwestern part of Pangasinan province and facing Lingayen Gulf, a large portion of the city is prone to widespread flooding since it is also crisscrossed by several rivers.

Residents said the floodwater that hit the city this week was highest at the intersection of AB Fernandez, the major street in the city’s business district, reaching 1.28 m (4.2 ft).

“The flood poses inconvenience to residents, workers and students. But there is nothing we can do but to endure. We have to bring boots if we don’t want to wade in the water,” said Conchita Seen, owner of a bakery located in one of the flooded streets.

In Bulacan, low-lying villages in 10 of the province’s 24 localities were also submerged in foot-high floodwaters since Monday due to the prevailing monsoon rains coupled with high tide that reached up to 1.49 m (4.9 ft).

According to the Bulacan provincial disaster risk reduction and management council (PDRRMC), the floods affected residents in the cities of Malolos and Meycauayan, and in the towns of Marilao, Bocaue, Balagtas, Obando, Bulakan, Hagonoy, Paombong and Guiguinto.

The high tide was forecast to last until the end of this week, the PDRRMC said in an advisory on Thursday. Bulacan has been experiencing moderate to strong rains since Tuesday night.

Rain-induced

In Pampanga province, floods hit 15 villages in the coastal towns of Macabebe and Masantol due to high tide and heavy rains on Thursday, according to the PDRRMC.

Hardest hit was Macabebe’s Baragay Castuli, which was submerged in 1.21-m floodwater as of Thursday noon.

In Bataan province, some low-lying villages and rice paddies in the towns of Samal, Abucay and Orion were hit by foot-high floods since Monday due to the high tide and heavy rains enhanced by the southwest monsoon.

The Samal municipal disaster risk reduction management office said several rivers and fishponds in the town overflowed. —REPORTS FROM YOLANDA SOTELO, CARMELA REYES-ESTROPE, TONETTE OREJAS AND GREG REFRACCION

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