Release of water from Angat Dam adds to flooding in Calumpit evacuation centers

Evacuation centers in Calumpit, Bulacan—meant as a refuge for those hit by the heavy rains brought about by the recent typhoons—were flooded over the weekend, as the water level continued to rise to as high as seven feet due to the effects of Typhoon Ulysses, including the release of water from Angat Dam.

Evacuees in the San Miguel Meysulao High School were forced to flee to the second floor of a building, as floods in the area reached chest levels. Another evacuation center—the United Methodist Church—where eight families were housed, was also flooded.

"Bumaha po siya actually kagabi lang tapos kaninang umaga lumiit siya," Pastor Virgillo Flores II said of the water level in a report by Vonne Aquino on GMA's "24 Oras Weekend" on Sunday ".Actually, naglinis na kami, akala namin ay liliit na talaga so nitong mga 10 a.m. Lumaki ulit 'yung tubig," 

"Hindi po normal 'yung ganito kalaking tubig. Nagkaroon kami ng ganito kalaking tubig nung Pedring, Habagat, tsaka 'yung Ondoy," said May Secreto, a kagawad at Barangay Meysulao said in the same report.

Evacuees have been forced to stay in the evacuation centers, as floods were even higher in their residences after the release of water from the Angat Dam.

"Ang apektado ng Angat, ang dinadaluyan ng tubig ay ang Angat river. So ito pong Angar river ay nasa lugar po ng Bulacan area—Norzagaray—papuntang Pampanga river sa may Calumpit area," Maximo Peralta, assistant weather services chief at PAGASA Hydrometeorology, said in the same report.

Evacuees are now asking for clean potable water and additional relief goods.

There are currently 82 families in seven evacuation centers in the area after Typhoon Ulysses (international name: Vamco) hit the country just last week, killing at least 67 and leaving damage worth P1.19 billion in terms of agriculture, and P469.7 million in terms of infrastructure.

The typhoon exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on Friday morning, but heavy rains and the release of water from the Magat Dam and other reservoirs brought about massive flooding in Cagayan and Isabela.

A week before, Super Typhoon Rolly (international name: Goni), reported as the strongest storm of 2020 so far, hit several parts of the country, leaving over P8 billion in damage. — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA News