Pangasinan floods
One week before floodwaters hit Pangasinan, the people here were already preparing for the worse to come. Grocery stores were filled with people, long lines in paying areas, and empty shelves especially in the canned goods areas. That was when typhoon Pepeng had its first landfall in Cagayan on October 2. Classes were suspended then though it was only typhoon signal #1 and there was no rain in Dagupan City and here in San Fabian.
From October 5 to 8, life was normal, kids were in school. On October 9, heavy rains started to pour in the morning. Still, there were classes that morning. I was getting apprehensive at that time because of the heavy downpour while my kids were still in school 18 kilometers away from home. Medical representatives I talked to were saying that the road going to Dagupan City was starting to get flooded. And the more I got uneasy because my kids’ school reiterated that regular classes were being conducted. By 12 NN that same day, my husband received a call that classes had been suspended and that the kids need to be fetched the soonest. Me and my husband acted immediately but since classes were suspended in all schools in the area, traffic delayed us. But we were just in time before floodwater started to rise.
On the afternoon on that same day, news spread that San Roque dam was going to open all its gates and release water. My husband immediately surfed the internet on what areas were going to be affected. And we concluded that San Fabian will be safe. But unfortunately, several dikes were not able to contain the rampaging water and they gave way. And San Fabian, our town, was among those greatly affected.
It was hair-raising to see and hear people in such a situation. Because there was no electricity at the height of the typhoon and our generator broke down, I had only known of the very vast damage in our town and nearby areas after the typhoon. In search of food and some necessities, my family and I was able to make rounds in nearby towns. My kids just could not believe that what they were seeing were possible.
Food was the main problem after the flood. Market stalls were close for days. They have nothing to sell because everything were destroyed by Pepeng’s wrath. Bread, biscuits, and cookies were very scarce. People get to argue on who gets it first.
The day after the typhoon even the malls were close, too. When Nepo mall reopened, people trooped there causing long lines again in the cashier. There were no meat, fish, and vegetables in the wet section. I was only able to buy the essentials. I am hoping that everything will go back to normal as soon as possible.
Tags: Dagupan City, flood, floodwater, Pangasinan, San Fabian, typhoon, typhoon Pepeng