Marikina River water level now back to normal after 1st alarm raised

The water level in Marikina River went down to normal level on Wednesday morning after the first alarm was raised before dawn.

Heavy rains from the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) enhanced by Severe Tropical Storm Enteng (international name: Yagi) led to a rise in water level in Marikina River early Wednesday.

Local authorities raised the first alarm past 1 a.m. when the water level reached 15.1 meters.

The first alarm means residents living near the river should prepare to evacuate.

At 7 a.m., however, the water level went down to 14.9 meters. Authorities thus lifted the first alarm.

In an interview on Unang Balita earlier in the day, Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro said there were no casualties and no reported flooding.

However many residents became sick over the past few days as heavy rains from Enteng and the Habagat poured.

Some residents' mental health were also affected he said, due to the stress of having to evacuate as the water level at Marikina River rose.

Teodoro advised those with small children or living with persons with disability or those who are pregnant or just gave birth to do preemptive evacuation should the water level at Marikina River rise again.

Classes in Marikina City in all levels in public and private schools, both face-to-face and asynchronous, were suspended on Wednesday due to the bad weather. —KG, GMA Integrated News