The Marikina City local government began its clearing and cleaning operations on Sunday afternoon, Oct. 30, following the onslaught of severe tropical storm (STS) “Paeng,” wherein non-stop heavy rains triggered the second alarm of the Marikina River.
Members of the local government’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (DRRMO), and Engineering Office, among others were seen using backhoe dozers to pick up mud that accumulated when the water overflowed at the Marikina Riverside.
Personnel from the Marikina River Parks Authority also hosed down the mud to clear the roads, particularly the path underneath the Marikina Bridge at A. Bonifacio Avenue.
Washer trucks also arrived at the emptied evacuation centers, many of which were school premises, to conduct flushing operations to ensure they are properly sanitized and prepped for use by students and teachers.
Dump trucks roamed around the affected barangays such as Malanday and Tumana to collect the garbage and other debris swept to the streets by the flood waters.
The local government assured the public of immediate action in response to calamities in order to fast track the “return to normal” of Marikina residents’ after the storm.
River hits second alarm
Thousands of families, particularly those from Barangays Malanday and Tumana, pre-emptively sought shelter at their barangays’ respective evacuation centers on Saturday, Oct. 29.
The local government sounded the first alarm of the river when the water level hit 15 meters at 12:03 p.m. The city opened 31 evacuation sites to readily accommodate the public.
After only over an hour, it was raised to the second alarm as the water level rose to 16 meters by 1:50 p.m.
It continued to rise in the night, reaching 17 meters at 11:40 p.m., and escalating to 17.4 meters at 3:05 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 30.
By early Sunday morning, the water level gradually subsided. The alarm alert was lifted as the water level subsided to 14.9 meters (Normal Status) at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
Residents in evacuation centers have returned to their homes.
READ MORE: ‘Paeng’ raises Marikina River water level to 2nd alarm