Do you have relatives in the Philippines — particularly in Metro Manila and Central Luzon — who suffered mother nature’s wrath? Typhoon Ondoy was dubbed as the strongest typhoon that hit Manila and Luzon since 1962, more than four decades ago.
In just 6 hours (from 8AM – 2PM) yesterday (September 26, 2009, Manila Time), the storm poured more than 13 inches of rain (334 cm), equivalent to a month of normal downpour.
As a result, heavy flooding occurred even in places that do not normally get flooded. People were stranded and traffic was halted. Among the places that suffered the hardest are Araneta (Quezon City), Marikina City, Taytay, San Mateo, and Manila.
Riverbanks in Marikina. The river overflowed submerging towns
Many people in the adversely-affected areas went to higher grounds as their homes were completely submerged in flood water. Rescue teams were deployed by the government but they were outnumbered by the number of people trapped in their homes and on their rooftops.
Katipunan Road became an angry river destroying everything on its path
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has declared Manila and surrounding towns and cities under state of calamity. Licensure Examinations for Teachers (LET) and Bar Exams have been cancelled, as most of the testing centers serve as evacuation centers.
As of this writing, the water has receded (down to knee-deep) in some areas, although some roads are still not passable.
The youtube clip below show the devastation in Eastwood (Pasig City). Please excuse the language in the middle of the video.
Rescue operations are still undergoing, and the map below is the “Typhoon Ondoy situation map“, which displays people who need evacuation help.
View Ondoy situation map for Metro Manila in a larger map
This is absolutely a horrible calamity, and the government is calling for unity. “Bayanihan” para sa bayan. Hopefully, the region recovers fast.
As for this blogger, my hometown (Pandacan, Manila) only suffered minor flooding and power outage.
Any updates on your hometown?
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