SERIES 1
The intense rains that caused another Ondoy-like flooding in Metro Manila last August 2012 was unexpected. This type of "flooding" was supposed to happen every +10 years or so. At least this is what I was told.
I remember in the year 2000, barely 11 months of adapting to the Manila lifestyle, massive rains caused floods in Pasig that took more than 30 days to subside. It was no issue for me then since I was alone with no children to worry about.
Nine years after, in August 2009 Typhoon Ondoy poured a year's worth of rains that inundated the whole of metropolis including [to no surprise] Pasig City. While it was such an unfathomable devastation that crippled the National Capital Region not sparing places like the Makati Central Business District, the floods subsided in approximately 12 hours or so.
But not in Pasig City. This time my priorities has changed and I was not just fending for myself. I now have kids I worried about when 3 days have passed and the flood level at the street outside our house have not subsided. We relocated to a safer place for 30 days.
So who says it's 10 years? Ondoy was 9 years apart. 2012 Habagat was not even 3 years since Ondoy.
On that fateful Monday night [August 6, 2012] the heavy rains have not stopped since Sunday afternoon. This has started to worry me. I found myself watching by the window for signs of water rising at the street. By Tuesday morning, our streets remain to be flood free but the intense rains continue and by midday, the flood has reached gutter deep. We were still safe at home but my anxiety has not subsided.
On Wednesday morning, there was a sign of hope as the sun shone to give a glimmer of hope. Yet, Sandoval Ave which served as our only exit out of the Village and out of Pasig City is now impassable. And just before lunch, the rains once again poured to no end. The street flood is now higher by 5 inches above gutter. This was just a beginning. By 2PM, the rains was raging endlessly that even caused waist deep flood along C5. And the street water has reached our garage...and our yard and our kitchen. The toilets no longer work. We decided to flee while it was still early or was it?
The kids were a priority. For as long as they are safe, we are okay. I guess in the end there are still a lot to be thankful for. Still few days from that 2-day deluge, the floods along our usual routes have not subsided.
We moved to a safer place once again and because classes will soon resume. And I am not sure if we can survive the 3hour morning rush out of the Village from the back door. Kids have to be in school at 7am hence we need to leave at 5am. No way.
Images courtesy of www.lifestylecheck101.blogspot.com
It is still the wet season, so there is still a huge chance of heavy downpour and a high possibility of rains. I am excited for summer to come. Luckily, since that Habagat in August, Metro Manila was spared of Typhoons except for the occasional thunderstorms and rain showers. Still all these are tolerable.
But to me, the anxiety is eternal. With slight thunder I am worried not just for my kids but for all the people who I know will be more than affected than I am. People living near the river, people who are still on the road and people whose shelter are unstable.
I look forward to the day when, even at the heaviest downpour, no one of us will worry about severe inundation. Our local government should start working on short and long-term range plans. But I appreciate how the local government of Pasig (and perhaps other LGU's across Metro Manila) continue to work on cleaning up gutters, creeks and rivers. A few have installed submirsible pumps.
Yeah, I still worry about rains. And perhaps that's natural for a father like me.
[Please watch for the second series featuring my love affair with PAGASA and DOST NOAH.]
--------------------
Please check blog with similar topic.
http://lifestylecheck101.blogspot.com/2012/08/photo-updates-on-flood-in-sandoval-ave.html
The intense rains that caused another Ondoy-like flooding in Metro Manila last August 2012 was unexpected. This type of "flooding" was supposed to happen every +10 years or so. At least this is what I was told.
I remember in the year 2000, barely 11 months of adapting to the Manila lifestyle, massive rains caused floods in Pasig that took more than 30 days to subside. It was no issue for me then since I was alone with no children to worry about.
Nine years after, in August 2009 Typhoon Ondoy poured a year's worth of rains that inundated the whole of metropolis including [to no surprise] Pasig City. While it was such an unfathomable devastation that crippled the National Capital Region not sparing places like the Makati Central Business District, the floods subsided in approximately 12 hours or so.
But not in Pasig City. This time my priorities has changed and I was not just fending for myself. I now have kids I worried about when 3 days have passed and the flood level at the street outside our house have not subsided. We relocated to a safer place for 30 days.
So who says it's 10 years? Ondoy was 9 years apart. 2012 Habagat was not even 3 years since Ondoy.
On that fateful Monday night [August 6, 2012] the heavy rains have not stopped since Sunday afternoon. This has started to worry me. I found myself watching by the window for signs of water rising at the street. By Tuesday morning, our streets remain to be flood free but the intense rains continue and by midday, the flood has reached gutter deep. We were still safe at home but my anxiety has not subsided.
On Wednesday morning, there was a sign of hope as the sun shone to give a glimmer of hope. Yet, Sandoval Ave which served as our only exit out of the Village and out of Pasig City is now impassable. And just before lunch, the rains once again poured to no end. The street flood is now higher by 5 inches above gutter. This was just a beginning. By 2PM, the rains was raging endlessly that even caused waist deep flood along C5. And the street water has reached our garage...and our yard and our kitchen. The toilets no longer work. We decided to flee while it was still early or was it?
The kids were a priority. For as long as they are safe, we are okay. I guess in the end there are still a lot to be thankful for. Still few days from that 2-day deluge, the floods along our usual routes have not subsided.
We moved to a safer place once again and because classes will soon resume. And I am not sure if we can survive the 3hour morning rush out of the Village from the back door. Kids have to be in school at 7am hence we need to leave at 5am. No way.
It is still the wet season, so there is still a huge chance of heavy downpour and a high possibility of rains. I am excited for summer to come. Luckily, since that Habagat in August, Metro Manila was spared of Typhoons except for the occasional thunderstorms and rain showers. Still all these are tolerable.
But to me, the anxiety is eternal. With slight thunder I am worried not just for my kids but for all the people who I know will be more than affected than I am. People living near the river, people who are still on the road and people whose shelter are unstable.
I look forward to the day when, even at the heaviest downpour, no one of us will worry about severe inundation. Our local government should start working on short and long-term range plans. But I appreciate how the local government of Pasig (and perhaps other LGU's across Metro Manila) continue to work on cleaning up gutters, creeks and rivers. A few have installed submirsible pumps.
Yeah, I still worry about rains. And perhaps that's natural for a father like me.
[Please watch for the second series featuring my love affair with PAGASA and DOST NOAH.]
--------------------
Please check blog with similar topic.
http://lifestylecheck101.blogspot.com/2012/08/photo-updates-on-flood-in-sandoval-ave.html
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