‘Rainfall volume in Marikina greater than during Ondoy’

MANILA, Philippines — Dredging operations in Marikina River that began last February prevented massive flooding in the city as the local government braces for more rains this week brought by the southwest monsoon, an official said yesterday.

The volume of rainfall that was recorded before dawn on Saturday was higher than the hourly rainfall rate of Typhoon Ondoy in 2009, Marikina’s Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office chief Dave David said.

But because Marikina River had been deepened and widened, David said waters continued to flow toward Manila Bay without spilling into communities.

“We recorded 134 millimeters of rain on Saturday in a span of only one hour. This was higher than the rainfall recorded during Ondoy,” David said. “But the river’s capacity was able to withstand that. It’s an indication of the good effects of the dredging.”

In 2009, Ondoy dumped 455 millimeters of rain over a 24-hour period.

Some 15,000 Marikina residents were evacuated on Saturday after the city government declared alarm level 2 over Marikina River as the water reached 16 meters.

As of yesterday, only 9,000 people remained at evacuation centers.