Having Almost Another ‘Ondoy’
Photo from GMA News
It’s raining hard and strong wind blows as I write this article due to visiting Typhoon ‘Pedring’ (International Codename: Nesat) exactly one day and two years after the Typhoon ‘Ondoy’ (International Codename: Ketsana) devastated our area. According to our PAGASA weather forecasting bureau, ‘Pedring’ is weaker than ‘Ondoy ‘ but just the same, it can cause destruction of properties and loss of lives. We are somewhat lucky in our area because although switching on and off, our power supply is not completely cut off. As such, we still can listen to the radio for the updates and our Internet connection somewhat stabilized later in the day.
We woke up this morning of September 27, 2011 with strong gusty wind and rains but not as heavy as we had during ‘Ondoy’. Reports on radio in mid-morning said water level at Marikina River already reached the critical level and forced evacuation of residents living near it will soon be enforced. We live quite far from the river but recalling what happened two years ago, we worriedly watch if the street in front of our house get flooded as fast as it was during ‘Ondoy’. The flood did not come to our place but there was quite a large number of people affected by ‘Pedring’ in our city.
Having another ‘Ondoy’ which caused six (6) feet deep of muddy flood water to enter our house and destroy all our appliances including the car is something we no longer want to experience. This time it did not happen to our family but the calamity struck the other people again and we know that ‘Pedring’ will not be the last to hit us. Can we do anything to prevent having another ‘Ondoy’ again? We can only hope that our government has the answer.
Like FALCON, PEDRING worried my family so much considering that St. Mary Avenue fronting the apartment building we’re living in has been prone to flooding after some 30 minutes due to faulty design and design of the drainage outlet nearby. Of course, we felt assured that Provident Villages would not again be under 20 feet of flood waters as it was during ONDOY’s time. As power in our area was cut off in the morning of September 27, 2011, we’re deprived of tv news. Of course, barangay public address system kept us well advised of hourly status of Marikina River especially when it reached critical level.
Though there was no heavy rains, still the swollen river caused flood waters in the street to spill out to the compound. Transferring some furniture and equipment to the 2nd floor, we spent the night monitoring the situation as water had seeped into the living room. Fortunately, at midnight flood waters began to subside and completely gone at 5:00 AM of September 28, 2011. Still, PEDRING brought some hours of sleep deprivation and extreme anxiety.