The continuous rainfall caused a thick blanket of fog in Baguio City. (PNA photo)
Baguio City – The heavy and continuous downpour triggered the breach of the August rainfall threshold in this city and Benguet last Wednesday.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported a 310.6 millimeter (mm) of rainfall from August 13 to 14 alone, bringing the total rainfall since August 1 to 959.4mm, which is 54.4mm beyond the 905mm threshold level.
As a result, the water levels in two Benguet dams, Ambuklao in Bokod and Binga in Itogon, reached critical level, triggering the opening of spillway gates of these two dams.
During the same month last year, both Baguio and Benguet registered over 1,600mm of rainfall as a result of the continuous onslaught of the southwest monsoon for months.
Almost all areas of Itogon have been declared highly susceptible to landslide by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, while residents at the foot of the mountains were already advised to do preventive evacuation.
So as not to compromise commuters’ safety, these roads were closed — the Tawang-Ambiong Road in La Trinidad, Benguet, the Gov. Bado Dangwa national road at Gambang and Cuba in Kapangan, Benguet, as well as the Bangho Road section in Acop-Kapangan-Kibungan Road.
On the other hand, Kennon Road remains closed as well as the Baguio General Hospital rotunda, the Baguio-Bua-Itogon Road at Upper Goldfield in Barangay Poblacion, Itogon and Long-long La Trinidad Road. (Jojo Mangahis)