Typhoon Lando brings needed water to Luzon dams
TYPHOON LANDO. Government is closely monitoring the water level of Angat Dam in Bulacan. File photo from Wikipedia
MANILA, Philippines – Typhoon Lando (international codename Koppu) has supplied much needed water to several Luzon dams, according to state weather bureau PAGASA.
In fact, at least 3 dams in Luzon have already opened gates to release water supplied by the weaker but slow-moving typhoon which is still affecting provinces in Northern Luzon and Central Luzon.
The Ambuklao and Binga dams in Benguet each have two gates opened at 1 meter, PAGASA said in its 10 am dams water level update on Monday, October 19.
Meanwhile, the reservoir water level of Magat Dam in has already reached 193.83 meters or 0.83 meters over the 193-meter spilling level. Seven gates are opened at 20 meters to release water.
Image courtesy of PAGASA
National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council Executive Director Alexander Pama said in a press briefing Monday that government is closely monitoring Angat Dam in Bulacan and Pantabangan Dam in Nueva Ecija.
Referring to dams that have released water, Pama explained: "Ang good news po nito wala naman pong namimiligro.... Wala naman pong dapat ikabahala rito at binibigay po natin yung mga ulat sa mga dadaanan."
(The good news here is that there is no risk.... There is nothing to worry about, and we relay the news to areas where the released water will spill into.)
Pama: 201.5 m na po ang Angat, kulang na lang sa 210 na peligro.
— Aika Rey (@reyaika) October 19, 2015With the strong El Niño affecting the country, government sees Lando's torrential rains as a "blessing" for Luzon dams.
"Isang magandang biyayang nabibigay sa atin, iyon pong ating mga dams na nangangailangan ng tubig harinawa ay mapupunuan na dito para naman yung epekto nung El Niño ay maibsan na rin," Pama said on Saturday, October 17 – a day before Lando made landfall in Aurora.
(It's a blessing that our dams that need water hopefully will be filled up so we can ease the effects of El Niño.)
Lando was located 20 km west of Vigan, Ilocos Sur as of 10 am Monday, with maximum sustained winds of up to 120 km/h near the center and gusts of up to 150 km/h.
It is moving slowly at a speed of 5 km/h towards the north-northeast. Ten provinces are still under public storm warning signal number 2. (READ: Typhoon Lando: Signal No 2 in 10 Luzon provinces) – with a report from Aika Rey/Rappler.com
