BANICA RIVER SPILLWAY COLLAPSE, 19 Oct 2017

Apparently, BOTH "spillways" were washed out, but as of Saturday, 3pm, only the hypermart crossing has a sign. No sign on the BIR (upriver) crossing, has it been filled in, most likely still out...

Both bridges, at Real / national and cervantes are OPEN, but traffic is twice a heavy as usual. And that's with only half the trikes.

 

The spillway going to BIR is still accessible, if the car is a bit higher on wheels. A more sporty car with a low front spoiler cannot make it unless you take the damage for what it is. Motorbikes also seems not to have many problems to cross.

 

So true. Today my wife was driving us towards Bacong, about 0.5 km (vague guess) past Robinson's Mall, when we noticed water flowing very fast down a road on the right-hand side (as it would be) but with nothing yet on the main road itself. Me, being at times a bit 'Boang Jud', insisted, against her assessment of the situation, to continue onwards so I could buy some quiche from the French baker (MP, I think). Priorities! The rain became heavier and so I relented about 1.5 km further on and we turned back. That river of water had now, within about 5 minutes, created a flood on the main highway that was very hairy to pass through; we could see bits of tree on the road and feel rocks beneath our tyres. I have learned my lesson and for once in my life will listen to my wife in the future.

I am interested to know why that water flowed down so quickly (we were inside a building for about an hour prior to the flood - about 2.45 pm to 3.40 pm - but I don't think the rain had been heavy enough to create it from scratch by overspill) - was it a broken bank somewhere? Also, how do residents of Bacong and onwards cope, as this must not have been an isolated incident? There is no alternative route as far as I am aware, except up towards Valencia and back down which, in heavy rain, must have quite some risk attached.

 

Still, from what I hear that's what folks do if things are bad at the location where you encountered flooding. No experience myself on that route in nasty weather, but the one time we used the Valencia-Bacong road it seemed fine, plenty wide.

 

Rain somewhere up towards Valencia will cross the highway somewhere sooner or later.

 

d*mn straight! This video shows just how safe something appears at first glance, turning into something far more sinister beneath the surface...

 

Yes, I am aware of the path of least resistance.... it is how I live my life (Taoism). But my point was that the amount of water from recent rainfall seemed not enough to cause that very rapid flow and so it had to have come suddenly from a large volume source.

 

I have collected some pics of the floods that were posted on social media including some of the damage caused and posted to my Facebook wall (public) so if anyone wishes to look feel free

Brian Oinks