Typhoon Nona: Heavy rains flood Isabela, Cagayan

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Philippines – Several towns in Isabela and Cagayan provinces were flooded at the wake of Nona’s wrath in the southern part of Luzon.

The two-day continuous rains raised the water level of Magat Dam, forcing authorities to release water and warned residents near the Cagayan River and low-lying areas of possible flashfloods.

The Office of the Civil Defense (OCD)-Region 2 said in its advisory at 4 pm on Thursday, December 17, the flood may persist the next 12 hours as the Cagayan River and its tributaries continue to rise.

These tributaries include the Pinacanauan River, Pared River, Dummun River, Zinundungan River and Chico River in Cagayan; the Magat, Siffu, Mallig and the Pinacanauan Rivers in Ilagan; and the Tumauini and San Pablo in Isabela.

The OCD said at least 29 towns and cities have reported flooding.

In Isabela, the disaster management officials have already directed preemptive evacuation in the low-lying areas.

Lawyer Watu Foronda, the provincial disater management chief of Isabela said about 227 families had been evacuated as of Thursday afternoon.

Foronda said several villages in Sto. Tomas town remained isolated. He said, however, relief goods were already distributed to the affected.

Waist-high flood have been reported in 4 villages of Ilagan City.

“We advise them to please heed the order and evacuate. It may be a bit uncomfortable but it’s just temporary. Anyway, we have foods for them,” Foronda told Rappler in a phone interview.

In Tuguegarao, villages near the Cagayan River and its tributaries have been submerged with knee-deep floods.

In October, several towns in said provinces have suffered “catastrophic” floods due to Typhoon Lando, submerging low-lying areas with up to 10-foot floods.  – Rappler.com