The Marikina River’s water level surpassed the 20-meter limit at 2:03 PM on July 24, 2024, according to the Marikina Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO). The river’s water level had already prompted the third alarm at 10 AM when it rose to 18 meters, initiating forced evacuations of nearby residents.
Marikina Mayor Marcelino Teodoro, in an interview with Super Radyo dzBB, compared the current water level rise to the situation during Tropical Storm Ondoy in 2009. The local government has been distributing food, water, and medicine to evacuees from seven barangays along the river.
“Everyone was taken aback because they were evacuated before they were able to have lunch. I hope the rain stops,” Teodoro expressed, highlighting the urgency of the situation.
Despite recent dredging efforts to expand the river’s capacity, Teodoro noted that the measures were insufficient to manage the heavy rainfall. The city’s evacuation centers urgently require additional supplies such as food, medicines, drinking water, blankets, and volunteers, particularly medical workers.
The water level in the Marikina River has been steadily rising due to the heavy rainfall brought by the Southwest Monsoon, intensified by Typhoon Carina. The first alarm was raised at 5:30 AM when the water level hit 15 meters, signaling residents to prepare. The second alarm followed at 6:45 AM as the level reached 16 meters, instructing residents to evacuate.
PAGASA continues to monitor the situation, maintaining Signal No. 2 over Batanes and Signal No. 1 over the Babuyan Islands, northern Cagayan, and northern Ilocos Norte.