Pangasinan Rivers Breach Critical Levels Amid Monsoon Rains

The province of Pangasinan remains under Blue Alert status as persistent intermittent rains from the Southwest Monsoon and two tropical depressions caused several major rivers to breach critical safety levels, affecting 34,064 families across 123 barangays as of August 9, the PIA reports.

Flooding has impacted at least 85 barangays in 12 municipalities and two cities, leaving four national roads and two provincial roads completely impassable to all vehicle traffic.

Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) Operations Head Vincent Chiu reported that water levels exceeded safety limits in multiple key river systems:

• Sinocalan River in Santa Barbara reached 7.5 meters above sea level, passing its 7.0-meter critical limit by 0.5 meters.
• Marusay River in Calasiao recorded 10 feet, exceeding its critical 8-foot threshold by two feet and prompting bank overflows.
• Bued (Cayanga) River in San Fabian reached a critical level of 7.8 meters.

The severe weather prompted localized class suspensions, while local authorities suspended government work on Monday, August 10, in Dagupan City, Lingayen, and Mangaldan.

Emergency personnel and equipment have been stationed across strategic locations to respond to potential evacuations. “PDRRMO rescuers remain on standby together with the response cluster at the central office in Burgos, as well as its satellite offices in San Nicolas and Tayug. Resources, rescue assets, and personnel have also been prepositioned in San Fabian,” Chiu said.

Disaster monitoring operations continue as officials urge residents along riverbanks and flood-prone areas to follow evacuation orders from local authorities.

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SOURCE: PIA