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| Ortigas Ave. Ext. Pasig City during Ondoy Floods |
The morning of September 26, 2009, will go down in history as the day when one of the worst floods to hit the Philippines.
The rains were brought by Tropical Storm Ondoy (International Name: Ketsana). First observed by the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) and the Japan Meteorological Agency forming in Palau on September 23, 2009, but was downgraded to a Tropical Depression and then to a Low-Pressure Area (LPA). Upon nearing the Philippines it accelerated to a Tropical Depression and then into a Tropical Storm (TS). Upon making landfall in Aurora Province, it still retained its status as a TS on the morning of September 26, 2009.
The rains were intermittent during the wee hours of September 26. There was no sunrise to speak of since the sky was almost as dark as night. A steady hard rain fell starting at 7:00 a.m. and vehicles were traversing the streets with their headlights on. In Pasig City, there were by then reports of flooding by 9:00 a.m. In Marikina City, 40-foot floodwaters raged in Provident Village and the Marikina River had burst its banks. In Cainta, Rizal, trucks responding to rescue and relief operations were themselves overtaken by the flood.
The night before, rain was already pouring over the Sierra Madre Mountain Range and the waters flowed into the Montalban River, the San Mateo River and then to the Marikina River. Rodriguez, Rizal was hard hit with water and mud reaching up to the roofs of its communities, so was the case in San Mateo Rizal. The Marikina, Cainta, Pasig catch basin was being filled up with water and the waters continue to rage down the Sierra Madre.
In a matter of 6 hours, TS Ondoy dumped a deluge the equivalent of a month’s rainfall average in NCR, Rizal Province, and Laguna Province. The result was catastrophic and in the NCR, 85% of its total land area was under water. Scenes from TV news showing flooding along Ayala Business District in Makati City with its pedestrian underpasses filled with water stunned the nation. Even the President Gloria Macapagal – Arroyo went out and directed traffic along the flooded streets of Manila.
Electricity, telecommunications, and other utilities were affected by nightfall. Cellular phone signals were weak or non-existent. Pasig City town proper was an inundated triangular island being bounded by the Marikina River, Pasig River and the Manggahan Floodway on its three sides. By evening, there was no more food to be bought from stores.
By the next day, the full extent of the disaster came into view. TS Ondoy created a record of sorts.
11. In 6 hours, Ondoy released rainfall equivalent to a month’s volume of rain with a rate of 56.83 mm/hr based on its 24-hour recorded rainfall. Twenty-three provinces and Metro Manila were placed under a state of calamity due to the widespread devastation by Ondoy.
2. With combined heavy rains and strong winds, Ondoy affected 993,227 families or 4,901,234 people.
3. Caused damages to infrastructure and agriculture at a cost of P11 billion.
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| The Author during Ondoy. Surrender and Submission |
(To be continued)
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