Enteng leaves 98 houses damaged in Central Luzon
A total of 98 houses were left damaged in Central Luzon after Tropical Storm Enteng (international name: Yagi) ravaged most parts of the region in the first week of the “ber” months.
14 houses were totally damaged including five in Aurora province, eight in Bulacan, and one in Pampanga based on the Situational Report No. 15 of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council-3 (RDRRMC-3).
“84 partially damaged houses were recorded in the Provinces of Aurora (17), Bulacan (44), Pampanga (18), and Zambales (5),” the September 13, 2024 report reads.
Meanwhile, 77 barangays in Bulacan, 82 in Pampanga, eight in Nueva Ecija, and six in Tarlac are still flooded due to high tide and Monsoon Rains (Habagat) enhanced by Enteng.
RDRRMC-3 also reported a total of 726 families or 2,612 individuals are currently housed in different evacuation centers as of press time.
Destruction to agriculture
The country’s Rice Granary also suffered a blow due to the typhoon.
RDRRMC-3 said a total of ₱401,994,048.00 worth of palay (rice) and high-value crops in Region Three were destroyed by Enteng.
In Pampanga, damages to rice crops were recorded at ₱559,166,455.52, while ₱3,400,448.00 worth of fisheries were also destroyed as of September 11, according to the Office of the Provincial Agriculturist.
Alert, alarm levels
Monitoring from the Pampanga River Basin Flood Forecasting and Warning Center (PRFFWC) showed that the water level in the Candaba portion of the Pampanga River is at 4.83 meters as of five o’clock in the morning of Friday, September 13. This is past its 3.5-meter alert level, 4.5-meter alarm level, and is nearing its critical level of five meters.
Water levels in the Arayat (5.31 meters) and Sulipan, Apalit (2.75 meters) portions of the Pampanga River are also at alert levels according to PRFFWC.
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