DAGUPAN CITY -- Flood is still rising in some barangays of Dagupan City and Calasiao even if the rains have stopped and Typhoon Karen (Sarika) is already outside the Philippine area of responsibility.
The Office of Civil Defense reported the slow rise of water particularly in the Allied Sinocalan-Ingalera-Tagamusing watershed, the river basin whose water is being drained toward Dagupan before emptying into Lingayen.
Likely to experience flooding are the towns of Sta. Barbara, Binmaley, Binalonan, Malasiqui and Urdaneta City.
But a bigger cause for worry is the possible release of water impounded at the reservoir of the San Roque dam downstream of the Agno River, as the water level at its reservoir at 6 a.m. Monday rose to 278.36 meters above sea level (masl) or only 1.64 meter before it reaches the critical or spilling level of 280 masl.
Water of the Agno river flows to San Nicolas, San Manuel, Asingan, Tayug, Balungao, Sta. Maria, Rosales, Villasis, Sto. Tomas, Alcala, Bautista, Bayambang, San Carlos City Urbiztondo, Mangatarem, Aguilar and Bugallon before it empties to the Lingayen Gulf.
Worried residents are urging the National Power Corporation (NPC), which operates the San Roque dam, to now start gradually releasing water down its spillway before Typhoon Lawin (Haima) breezed into northern Luzon and bring rains that may cause dams in the area to overflow.
Rosendo So, chairman of the Samahan ng Industriya at Agricultura (Sinag), called on NPC in his Facebook account to now gradually release water of the San Roque dam to avoid a situation that may force it to abruptly release water downstream that may cause massive flood in Pangasinan.
This happened in 2010 at the height of Typhoon Pepeng when it released a big volume of water abruptly that rampaged even in the commercial district of Rosales town. (PNA)