Cagayan Valley on red alert for Typhoon Dodong

CAGAYAN, Philippines – The whole Cagayan Valley region is now on red alert for Typhoon Dodong’s (Noul) expected landfall over the Isabela-Cagayan area in the early morning of Sunday, May 10.

The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC) had a pre-disaster risk assessment on Friday at the PAGASA Regional Services Division in Tuguegarao City.

“We are continuously monitoring updates from our provincial to municipal disaster agencies telling them to preposition rescue equipment,” RDRRMC-Cagayan Valley chief Norma Talosig told Rappler. 

All provinces in the region are still experiencing fair weather as of Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, Tuguegarao recorded a sizzling 38 degrees celsius. 

In Cagayan, residents in the flood-prone areas are to evacuate, Provincial DRMMC-Cagayan chief Bonifacio Cuarteros said.

Typhoon Dodong’s heavy-to-intense rain may cause Cagayan River floods in Tuguegarao City and across the towns of Enrile, Amulung, Alcala, and Aparri.

In Isabela, some residents already evacuated to higher areas voluntarily due to warnings of possible storm surges. The no-sail and liquor ban policies are now in effect in the province.

Edmond Guzman, PDRRMC coordinator of Isabela, said they already alerted the coastal towns of Dinapigue, Maconacon, Divilacan, and Palanan to prepare and do pre-emptive evacuation as early as possible.

In Maconacon town, the municipal disaster agency already distributed a total of 418 relief packs. 

“We already alerted all the municipalities, especially in the coastal areas, to prepare for the worst-case scenario,” Guzman added.

The Department of Social Welfare Development (DSWD) Field Office in the region said they have 10,044 family packs available, on top of the 16,585 pre-positioned family food packs with local government units (LGUs) in different provinces.

Thirst quencher

Though the typhoon is predicted to intensify into a super typhoon, the provincial disaster agency of Isabela province is still hopeful the rains of Typhoon Dodong will just be enough to satisfy the thirst of the province’s dam and rice fields.

Guzman said although the Magat Dam is currently at its normal level at 181 meters, it still needs a few more meters as reservation since the country is still experiencing the dry season.

He, however, hopes that it will not reach the critical level of 193 meters.

The dam is one of the major sources of rice field irrigation in the provinces of Cagayan, Isabela, and Quirino. – Rappler.com