A MAJOR road in Marilao town, Bulacan is flooded following monsoon rain that prompted the evacuation of at least 350 families in three towns and a city in the province. The flooding also caused traffic jams in the North Luzon Expressway. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
CITY OF MALOLOS—Flash floods triggered by monsoon rains prompted 350 families to evacuate in the towns of Marilao, Bocaue and Sta. Maria and Meycauayan City in Bulacan province.
Water as deep as five feet submerged 17 villages. Classes were suspended in all levels in Marilao, Bocaue and Meycauayan.
Rains also flooded portions of the North Luzon Expressway, obstructing traffic on Tuesday night. Traffic flow resumed by Wednesday, according to the Bulacan provincial disaster risk reduction and management office (PDRRMO).
PDRRMO said monsoon rains, enhanced by Typhoon “Helen” along the Sierra Madre mountain ranges, caused flash floods in the hilly areas of the City of San Jose del Monte. The water cascaded to Sta. Maria town and Caloocan City in Metro Manila.
Water moved downward to adjacent Marilao River, then flowed down to Sta. Maria, Marilao, Bocaue and Meycauayan, the office said.
Flood waters also reached the towns of Bulakan and Obando on the way to Manila Bay.
Floods also rendered portions of the MacArthur Highway impassable for light vehicles on Wednesday.
PDRRMO said vehicles of the provincial engineering office were deployed on Tuesday night to ferry stranded commuters in Marilao.
In the Cagayan region, Typhoon Helen prompted government crews to suspend work restoring power and rebuilding infrastructure destroyed by Typhoon “Ferdie” in Batanes province.
Power had been restored in the villages of Malacdang and Sinacan in Sabtang town, the Office of Civil Defense said, adding that supply of potable water remained limited.
The damage to infrastructure left by Ferdie in Batanes had been estimated to be worth more than P300 million. Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Inquirer Central Luzon, and Villamor Visaya Jr., Inquirer Northern Luzon