Subsequent typhoons hit Philippines; Manila at risk of flooding as dam nears tipping point

In the closing week of July, the tropical country has been hit with two subsequent storms Egay and Falcon (international names Doksuri and Khanun); billions in damages and several deaths, Khanun leaves monsoons in the country en route to Taiwan.

Original story by ABS CBN News with insights from the ACN Newsdesk and a previous write-up by Jim Gomez for the Associated Press.

The Philippines has been hit with two typhoons the past week, with the latest intensifying the southwest monsoon currently within the country as of this writing.

According to the latest report of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), ‘significant rains’ are expected in the country until Wednesdays. 

Residents living in low lying areas in the Metro Manila component cities of Quezon City, Valenzuela and Malabon are advised to stay alert due to the rising water level at the La Mesa Dam.

The rains from typhoon Egay (Doksuri) and the enhanced southwest monsoon, or “habagat,” caused the water level at the La Mesa Dam to rise, according to PAGASA

“(It) is expected to rise due to continuous occasional rains caused by the southwest monsoon,” said PAGASA. “Excess flood water in La Mesa Dam will overflow in the event that the dam elevation reaches 80.15m.”

Typhoon Doksuri, on the other hand, has made landfall in China this weekend, affecting provinces such as Fujian; authorities have issued evacuation orders for thousands of people as well. 

The initial damage of Doksuri is estimated at P832.8 million.The estimated damage to infrastructure is valued at P1.2 billion.

Doksuri left at least six people dead and displaced thousands of others as it blew roofs off houses, flooded low-lying villages and triggered dozens of landslides, officials said.

One landslide buried a house in Buguias town in Benguet province, killing a mother, her child and two other children and injuring two other people. In the nearby resort city of Baguio, a 17-year-old person died when soil loosened by heavy rains buried his house, officials said.

In Isabela province, also in the north, a woman selling bread on a bicycle cart died when she was hit in the head by a falling coconut tree, a police report said.

Read the original story at ABS CBN by visiting this link: https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/29/23/rising-la-mesa-dam-water-level-threatens-low-lying-areas