This is the first time we’re deviating from the usual flow of discussion. We shall be discussing a not so sunny topic. We are doing this to acknowledge reality and to encourage everyone to help. We are also doing this to inform those who may wish to visit the Philippines that the areas affected are mostly in Marikina and Rizal; you could still visit 99.9% of the country.
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- Typhoon Ondoy: photo of damaged house
An average of 20 typhoons hit the Philippines every year. The 15th typhoon to hit the Philippines in 2009, named Typhoon Ondoy (International Code: Ketsane) showed that 13 is not the unlucky number. Typhoon Ondoy is not even close to being categorized as a supertyphoon, based on the existing public typhoon warning signals of PAGASA. If we consider the amount of rainfall and the resulting floods, however, Typhoon Ondoy is easily one of the most destructive in recent Philippine history.
During a 6-hour stretch on Saturday, 26 September 2009, Typhoon Ondoy dumped a month’s worth of rain in Metro Manila. The 24-hour rainfall is expected to exceed the 344 mm level set in 7 June 1967. Many are already saying that the flood brought about by Typhoon Ondoy is the worst in Philippine history.
The excessive volume of floodwater, coupled with the fast water flow, means heavy destruction. This is obvious from the TV footage. One of the worst-hit is Provident Village in Marikina (map and directions here).
This morning, immediately after the heavy flooding, we had to go to the airport. We’ve passed by landslides,destroying homes in low-lying areas. We saw a van crumpled upside-down on a now-calm river bed.
One of the few photos we were able to snap while driving is this shot of heavy concrete barriers that the MMDA usually move around using heavy equipment — an entire stretch of concrete barriers toppled over and tossed around like plastic bricks, near the airport.
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- Typhoon Ondoy strength, concrete barriers near Airport
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- Typhoon Ondoy strength shown by displaced concrete barriers
This is the first time we’re deviating from the usual flow of discussion. We shall be discussing a not so sunny topic. We are doing this to acknowledge reality and to encourage everyone to help. We are also doing this to inform those who may wish to visit the Philippines that the areas affected are mostly in Marikina and Rizal; you could still visit 99.9% of the country.
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- Typhoon Ondoy: Washing in River of Mud after the Storm
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- Typhoon Ondoy Photo of Destroyed Houses
Disaster Emergency Hotlines. See here and here.
Help/Donations/Assistance. Here are some options should you want to extend your generosity to our brothers and sisters:
- Philippine National Red Cross
- Kapuso Foundation
- PDI is launching a relief drive for victims. “Donations in kind, such as instant noodles, canned goods, formula milk, blankets and clothes, are urgently needed. These may be brought to the Inquirer office at 1098 Chino Roces Ave. corner Mascardo and Yague Streets, Makati City, and to any of its classified ads branches, and to any McDonald’s branch within Metro Manila. For questions and other concerns, please call 8978808 loc. 260 and look for Megi Garcia.”
- See “How to Help” at MLQ3.
- See “How you can Help” at ABS-CBN.
Please tell us through the comment section below if there are other options.
News, photos, videos. Let’s list down the sources of compelling photos and videos about Bagyong Ondoy, pictures of destruction, tragedy, calamity, and heroism.
- Bangon (fundraising song by Rico Blanco)
- Video: Floods wash away cars in UERM (Inquirer)
- Video: Aerial inspection of Ondoy’s damage in Pasig, Marikina and Rizal (GMA)
- Video: Metro got 1 month rainfall in 6 hours (ABS-CBN)
If you have other sources or compilation of photos, please let us know through the comment section below. Thank you.
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Hi, Fred,
Greetings from rainy Spain.
I know about the Ondoy floods and it is indeed shocking to see this natural catastrophe lash out with such colossal, deathly outcome. Hopefully, there’d be fewer lives lost. How are you, dear cyberfriend? Just would like to tell you that I was forced to join facebook since the PDI now requires commenters to be members before they can post comments—hence–I was forced to join but it’s OK since I’ve met some really good folks. If you are a member, we both can share many thoughts/ideas. Let’s pray the water there has now subsided. Take care and bring back that smile on your face to make that gorgeous little son of yours happier, as well as your dear wife. God bless, Hill
Oh, I forgot to say that the new-look design looks great!
Hi Hill, I’m doing ok, but I can’t say the same for many of our kababayans. We personally know so many who were directly affected, left with nothing except the clothes on their backs. Come to think of it, it’s a bit weird to hear them say “pasalamat tayo at buhay”.
Anyway, many of our fellow Filipinos are organizing relief operations. We encourage all our kababayans to help. God bless us all.
P.S. Thanks for the kind words. We kinda missed you here, now we know why you were silent for some time. I’ve seen your discussions there.
Typhoon Ondoy is the wortest typhoon in the Philippines. Many residents in Metro Manila got flooded.
Re: Pasig River & Laguna de Bay – Typhoon Ondoy Flooding
Postby BenAsis » Fri Oct 09, 2009 10:50 pm
MEASURES TO MITIGATE FLOODING IN METRO MANILA
I would be amiss if I do not contribute whatever knowledge I gained from work to offer suggestions on how to mitigate future flooding in Metro Manila and the coastal towns of Laguna de Bay. I would rather do this in anonymity, but to be taken seriously, I am including my name. I am giving a brief description of my qualifications and relevant work experience, not to toot horn, but to show my understanding of water and wastewater systems.
I am a Professional Engineer, registered in New York State by examination, in the State of Vermont by reciprocity, and can obtain registrations in other states as needed.
I worked on the Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) System of the South Florida Water Management District that encompasses 16 counties across18,000 square miles including, 1800 miles of canals and levees, 25 pumping stations, and approximately 200 larger and 2,000 smaller water control structure.
I worked on, and visited, all of New York City Department of Environmental Protection (NYCDEP) 14 Wastewater Pollution Control Plants (WPCP) with a combined capacity of 1,800 MGD (million gallons a day), the smallest of which is 40 MGD, and with each plant with an area of about 40 hectares. I have been to about 3 dozen pumping stations and half dozen regulators.
These are the recent events and current conditions in Metro Manila, as far as I can gather:
• Last summer, the major dams are at near critical low levels, particularly Angat and Pantabangan Dams, and water restrictions and rationing were considered.
• Two weeks before Typhoon Ondong, on September 13th , Typhoon Nando brought enough rain to bring the dams to near spilling levels.
• While Angat Dam provides 97% of the water supply to La Mesa Dam reservoir through Ipo Dam for the potable water for Metro Manila, spill water goes to Marikina River.
• The Marikina River, which joins Pasig River, can inundate the lower parts of Metro Manila during heavy monsoon and typhoon episodes so flood water is diverted to Laguna de Bay via Mangahan Floodway controlled by an 8-gated weir inlet with a diversion rate of 2400 cu.m/s.
• Laguna de Bay is utilized as flood-detention storage, aquaculture and irrigation. It is also the effluent sink from industries, urban and rural communities and agricultural areas located around the lake.
• Water flow from Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay is through Pasig River and is controlled by the Napindan Hydraulic Control Structure (NHCS) with a 4- gated inlet and one navigation lock.
• At present the NHCS 4-gate (at the request of the lake fishermen to increase salinity of the lake) is left open.
• There is an existing flood forecasting and warning system for dam operation for the five (5) dams in Luzon, installed at the cost of Ph P300,000,000.00. It is maintained and operated by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), in coordination with the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) and National Power Corp. (NPC).
My suggestions, in addition to the obvious need of protecting the watersheds and reforestations, are:
• During typhoon season, maintain optimum level of Angat Dam based on the projected path of incoming cyclone and the rate of rain falling in the watershed and on the areas downstream of the dam spillway and the along the Marikina river. Tropical typhoon paths can alternatively be obtained from this global weather satellite site: http://www.nrlmry.navy.mil/sat-bin/global.cgi . The optimum level should not be a fixed level below the critical spill level. The dam may have to start releasing water even before the storm hit.
• Coordinate water release from the dam and the opening of Mangahan floodway. Take into account the tidal timetable of Manila Bay.
• Use the Napindan HCS 4-gate as a tidal gate. It has to be closed when it is high tide in Manila Bay, especially during the rainy season.
• Remove all fish pens and all fish structures in the shore of Laguna de Bay, and return the lake to the state and make the entire lake open water.
• Maintain the flood forecasting system by ensuring that the hydrological stations, particularly that its rain gauges, are operational. Maintain or upgrade the warning system and telecommunication facilities with fiber optics. Upgrade wireless communication with state of the art RF or CDMA.
• Rather than build a Paranaque canal between Laguna de Bay and Manila Bay, build a sewer pipe line instead along Carlos P. Garcia Avenue, passing by NAIA and the outfall to Manila Bay by St. Paul College in Pasay City. There should be a tidal gate. With this pipeline, water from Marikina river need not always be diverted to Laguna de Bay thru the Mangahan floodway but can be emptied to Manila Bay (during low tide) without flooding the Malacanan area.
This is my contribution to the mitigation of undue future flooding in Metro Manila. The same principle can be applied to the rest of Luzon. This is nowhere near thorough or complete, but it can be used as a starting point for a comprehensive and integrated program.
I ask to please forward this effort to Philippine leaders who can do something about it. I ask that those with experience and whose mind is more brilliant than my humble self offer their suggestions also.
Thank you and Mabuhay!
Benjamin R. Asis, P.E.
I agree with Mr. Asis on his concept except that Angat-Ipo-La Mesa is not connected to Marikina River. La Mesa Reservoir is the headwater of Tullahan River and no spillway to Marikina River.
hi,I’m pearl I’m a 11 year old student and I
want to ask about some of the most dangerus typhoon that you have seen or now?