19-11-2024 (MANILA) Northern Philippines faced severe flooding Monday as water released from Magat Dam caused the Cagayan River to breach its banks, submerging hundreds of homes just days after Super Typhoon Man-yi battered the archipelago with winds reaching 185 kilometres per hour.
The powerful storm, which made landfall on Catanduanes island late Saturday before striking Luzon on Sunday, has claimed at least eight lives, including a 79-year-old motorcyclist killed by a fallen power line in Camarines Norte. A separate landslide in Nueva Vizcaya province claimed seven lives and left three injured when it engulfed a residential property.
In Ilagan city, Isabela province, the situation reached critical levels as floodwaters submerged buildings, leaving only rooftops visible. “This could literally wipe Ilagan city off the map if all seven gates of Magat Dam continue releasing water,” warned Jun Montereal, the city’s disaster preparedness committee chairman.
Dam operator Carlo Ablan defended the water release as necessary to prevent a catastrophic dam collapse following the massive rainfall brought by Man-yi. While President Ferdinand Marcos noted the typhoon’s impact wasn’t as severe as initially feared, the aftermath has left Catanduanes province facing months-long power outages and widespread destruction of infrastructure.
The storm marks the sixth major weather system to hit the Philippines in just one month, contributing to a death toll of 171 from recent storms. The US has pledged an additional $1 million in humanitarian aid, announced by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin during his Manila visit.
Climate scientists note the unusual clustering of four simultaneous storms in the Pacific basin this November – a phenomenon unprecedented since the Japan Meteorological Agency began keeping records in 1951. The increasing frequency and intensity of these weather events are linked to climate change, leading to more destructive rainfall and stronger winds.
#BreakingNews | Aasahan ang pagbubukas ng pitong gate ng Magat Dam hanggang mamayang alas singko ng hapon ngayong Lunes dahil sa mataas na inflow o pagpasok ng tubig sa Magat Dam Reservoir.
Sa ngayon, umaabot na sa 191.50 meter above sea level ang kasalukuyang reservoir level ng… pic.twitter.com/P4RPASIgrN
— Philippine Red Cross (@philredcross) November 18, 2024
