Widespread Flooding Hits Pangasinan as Typhoon Nando and Monsoon Bring Rising Waters

MALASIQUI, Pangasinan – A total of 154 barangays out of 1,364 across Pangasinan province are currently flooded due to the combined impact of Super Typhoon Nando and the intensified southwest monsoon, according to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) as of 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Affected areas include the municipalities of Mangatarem, Calasiao, Mapandan, Sta. Barbara, San Fabian, San Jacinto, Bautista, Binalonan, Laoac, Pozorrubio, Asingan, San Nicolas, along with the cities of Dagupan and Urdaneta.

PDRRMO Emergency Operations Head Pia Flores reported that several communities are experiencing flood depths ranging from four to five feet. Evacuation efforts are underway for residents in high-risk zones.

"Currently, there are 40 families, totaling 103 individuals, sheltered in evacuation centers, while 18 families (63 individuals) are staying with relatives or in alternate residences," Flores said in a phone interview. She added that these numbers are expected to rise as evacuations continue in various villages. Notably, some evacuees from Umingan and Balungao towns have returned home following a decrease in flood levels.

Flores further explained, "Based on our ongoing monitoring and data analysis, water levels are anticipated to keep rising due to persistent rainfall in the mountainous regions, which leads to increased runoff flowing downstream through our river systems."

A red rainfall warning remains in effect for Benguet, while Pangasinan is seeing intermittent rain showers. By 2 p.m., river gauges indicated that the Marusay River in Calasiao and the Sinucalan River in Sta. Barbara have surpassed critical flood levels.

Authorities are also closely observing the San Roque Dam's water level in coordination with dam management. As of Wednesday morning, the dam stood at 270.47 meters above sea level (masl), remaining under its spillway threshold of 280 masl.

Meanwhile, initial damage assessments from Typhoon Nando indicate significant losses in agricultural sectors amounting to over PHP 13 million, primarily impacting rice crops across the fourth, fifth, and sixth districts of Pangasinan. Infrastructure damages, chiefly affecting roads and bridges, have been estimated at PHP 69 million. Livestock losses, predominantly goats and cattle, reached approximately PHP 520,405.

The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office continues to monitor the situation and coordinate response efforts as residents cope with the ongoing flooding and adverse weather conditions.