Floods, road closures as ‘Gorio’ moves north

Tricycle drivers continue plying their routes in Hagonoy town in Bulacan province despite floods. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

CITY OF MALOLOS—Floodwater, as high as 5 feet, rendered roads in Marilao town and the City of Meycauayan impassable on Friday, as Typhoon “Gorio” and monsoon rains pounded a wide area of northern Luzon, according to reports released by the provincial disaster risk reduction management office.

The continuous rains since Thursday flooded 10 Meycauayan villages, with waters reaching 1.52 meters (5 feet).

Bustos Dam in Bulacan increased its water discharge to 128 cubic meters per second on Friday morning when its reservoir elevation rose to 16.54 meters above sea level, close to its spilling level of 17.50 masl.

In the Cordillera Region, two roads were closed in Kalinga and Mountain Province as rains triggered small erosion, according to the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Classes were suspended in Baguio City and some towns in the provinces of Abra and Benguet on Friday.

In Pangasinan, disaster response officials said the province received 143 millimeters of rainfall from Thursday to Friday, enough to cause floods in low lying villages.

The weather bureau warned people living near mountain slopes to be on alert for possible landslides that might be triggered by the rains.

The Philippine Coast Guard also advised operators of fishing boats and other small sea craft not to venture into the sea. —REPORTS FROM CARMELA REYES-ESTROPE AND GABRIEL CARDINOZA