La Mesa Dam placed on red alert, residents urged to evacuate

Residents living near the Tullahan River were asked to evacuate after the La Mesa Dam in Quezon City was placed on red alert on Thursday.

La Mesa Dam alert: https://t.co/zm83KAEZXI Maging #LagingHanda. pic.twitter.com/YMhU08fgTF

— Laging Handa PH (@LagingHandaPH) September 29, 2016

Due to persistent rains, the elevation at La Mesa Dam has reached 79.94 meters close to the 80.15-meter spilling level, News To Go reported.

The La Mesa Dam is an "earth dam" that is part of the Angat-Ipo-La Mesa water system that supplies most of the water in Metro Manila.

An earth dam, also called an "earthfill dam" or an "embankment dam," is built from compacted dirt.

The areas usually affected when La Mesa Dam overflows are the cities of Quezon, Malabon and Valenzuela as well as the 15-kilometer long Tullahan River that starts at the La Mesa reservoir, runs through Malabon and Valenzuela, and empties into Manila Bay. —Veronica Pulumbarit/KG, GMA News