At least 100 barangays in the low-lying areas of Isabela and Cagayan, still reeling from super-typhoon Juan, have been flooded by rivers swollen from two days of continuous rains. Around 30 low-lying areas in 91 flood-prone barangays in the municipality of Ilagan, Isabela have been partially flooded, said Ilagan municipal information officer Antonio Montereal Jr. Among the partially flooded areas are:Cabiseria 2, 3, 4 and 6-24; Alinguigan 1st, 2nd and 3rd; Aggasian; Fugu; Bagumbayan; Sta. Barbara; Camunatan; Guinatan; and Calamagui 2nd.Some northern and eastern towns of Isabela are without electric power at the moment, but “town disaster response teams have been readied," said Montereal. Ilagan Mayor Josemarie Diaz met with disaster council members to plan rescue operations of people in isolated villages and the distribution of relief goods.
Rubber boats have been deployed in Alinguigan 1st and 2nd, while disaster response teams brought pansit or rice noodles to evacuated families.
Police Supt. Roberto Bucad, Isabela police spokesman, warned motorists to avoid flooded roads and bridges.
The bridges of Cabagan-Santa Maria and Alicaocao have been rendered impassable by floods, said Bucad.
Parts of Tuguegarao City, Solana and other low-lying areas in Cagayan were also flooded due to continuous rains brought on by the tail-end of the cold front, said local officials.
Meanwhile, landslides in various roads have isolated several areas in Apayao province, said Xandred Anne Claveria, Apayao information officer. Three towns were blocked off by landslides: Calanasan, the capital town of Kabugao, and Conner. (See: Landslides block main roads in Apayao province)
Not Magat dam
Officials of the Magat dam in Isabela dispelled claims that the floods came from the release of excess water from the dam reservoir. “It is unfair to put the blame on [the dam] as water releases since Tuesday, until now, have been measly," said Saturnino Tenedor, instrumentation division chief at the Magat dam. The dam’s water reservoir reached the 193.02-meter maximum level, but dam operators have been releasing only 584 cubic meters per second into a single two-meter floodgate, "because there are no rains along the dam's watersheds," said Tenedor.—Joel Nueva/LRS/JV
