La Mesa Dam nears spilling level – Pagasa

MANILA, Philippines — La Mesa Dam is close to spilling level on Wednesday and the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) warned residents in nearby low-lying areas that some of its gates may be opened to release water, which may cause flooding.

Pagasa said the water level at the dam's reservoir was at 79.41 meters earlier in the day and was expected to rise due to the non-stop rains spawned by the typhoon-enhanced southwest monsoon locally known as «habagat.»

«Excess flood waters in La Mesa Dam will overflow in the event that its elevation reaches 80.15 meters,» Pagasa said.

Children are playing in some of the flooded areas in Brgy. Pio Del Pilar, Makati. The flooding is caused by continuous rains brought by Typhoon Carina on Wednesday, July 24, 2024. Photos by Rio Deluvio

As a result, it warned villagers from talong the Tullahan River from Quezon City (Fairview, Forest Hills Subdivision, Quirino Hi-way, Sta. Quiteria and San Bartolome), Valenzuela (Ligon, North Expressway, La Huerta Subdivision) and Malabon of possible flooding.

«All residents living in the aforementioned areas, especially those near the river banks, are advised to be alert for possible flooding,» it said.

Pagasa administrator Nathaniel Servando in a Viber message said that as of 3:30 p.m., the water level of La Mesa Dam was at 79.97 m.

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«More likely it will overflow,» he warned.

Pagasa said earlier on Wednesday that the water levels in the other dams were «manageable.» For Angat Dam in Norzagaray, Bulacan, which is the main source of water supply for Metro Manila and neighboring provinces for irrigation, Servando said its reservoir water level (RWL) was measured at 178.41 meters or -31.59m deviation from its 210 m normal high water level (NHWL).

Even La Mesa Dam had a reservoir water level (RWL) of 78.15 m, still short of its 80.15 m NHWL, the agency said.

Servando said, however, that given the continued rains, the water levels were expected to have a «significant increase.» He said Pagasa has been closely monitoring the conditions of all the major dams, including those in the provinces, especially now that the country is in the rainy