Northeast monsoon rains submerge five bridges in Isabela, Cagayan

CITY OF ILAGAN, Isabela–Due to the rains spawned by the northeast monsoon, five overflow bridges remained underwater while swollen rivers threatened to inundate low-lying villages in Isabela and Cagayan provinces on Monday, Jan. 2.

Local disaster risk-reduction management offices in both provinces said floods hit the overflow bridges in Barangay Baculod in this city, the Cansan Bridge connecting the towns of Santo Tomas and Cabagan, and Santa Maria-Cabagan, all in Isabela, and the Pinacanauan Bridge in Tuguegarao City and the Bagunot Bridge in Baggao, both in Cagayan.

Boyet Carbonel, a farmer, brought his farm animals to safe ground as a precautionary measure.

“We must always be prepared. The weather is unpredictable,” he said.

The elevation at the Magat Dam in Isabela stood at 190.30 meters above sea level at 1 p.m. on Monday. Its inflow was recorded at 395.69 cubic meters per second, while its outflow was pegged at 572.78 cms.

A one-meter-high floodgate was opened due to the rising dam level.

The water beneath the Buntun Bridge in Cagayan was 7.6 meters high, which was higher than the 4-meter alert level and was already nearing the 8-meter warning level. INQ

RELATED STORY:

Pagasa: Cloudy Monday with rain showers due to approaching LPA, ‘amihan’

JPV