MANILA — Dozens of families headed back home after the water level at the Marikina River became normal early Wednesday.

According to Marikina City Mayor Marcy Teodoro, some 111 families or 486 individuals were preemptively evacuated when the river breached the 15-meter mark on Tuesday afternoon, as severe tropical storm Florita stirred rains over large swaths of Luzon.

The evacuees took shelter in Nangka Elementary School, H. Bautista Elementary School and Concepcion Integrated School, said the mayor.

• Mga pamilya sa paligid ng Marikina River maagang lumikas

"Wala namang reported at hanggang ngayon wala namang binabaha na area sa Marikina," Teodoro told ANC's "Headstart".

(There are no reports of flooded areas in Marikina.)

As of 10 a.m. Wednesday, the water level in Marikina River has dropped to 13.9 meters.

Under the city's alarm system, the first alert is raised as a "warning" when the water level reaches 15 meters.

The second alarm, at 16 meters, means "prepare".

The third alarm or "evacuate" will be sounded off when the water level is at 18 meters.

Teodoro said the water carrying capacity of Marikina River has increased due to continuous dredging of the city government.

"What you could see in the river is the velocity of water has improved," he said.

However, he noted the city needs permanent flood mitigation programs such as the construction of 2 more big pumping stations.

"Ang problem ng Marikina is that hind lang tubig ng Marikina 'yung dumadaan dito," Teodoro said.

"We have a very good drainage system. However, kung hindi restored 'yung environment in the adjoining areas, the effect will really be devastating for Marikina being a downstream community."

(The problem of Marikina is that the water passing here is not just from the city... If the environment in the adjoining areas is not restored, the effect will really be devastating for Marikina.)

• Florita leaves Philippine area of responsibility, storm signals still up

LOOK: Flushing operations at the Marikina River, as rains stopped and gutter-deep floods subside in homes near the river. | via @arraperezDZMM pic.twitter.com/sHD8Di54qo

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) August 24, 2022

City personnel started cleaning areas around the river as its water level subsided.

"Iyong magdamag po medyo mahina na rin po iyong ulan... Kami po kanina po nag-umpisa na rin kaming maglinis... para mapasyalan na po uli ng mga namamasyal dito, ng mga senior citizen," said Jolas Lastrella, supervisor of the Marikina River Park Authority.

"Wala naman pong mahirap sa amin, sanay na po kami sa trabahong ito," Lastrella told ABS-CBN News.

(The rains overnight were light. We started cleaning up a while ago so that visitors, senior citizens could go back. This isn't difficult for us, we're used to it.)

— With reports from Davinci Maru and Arra Perez, ABS-CBN News

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