Just learned from a certified life saver that they drove towards Santa Rosa yesterday to check the road situation. Their chapter (from Silang) was not called to help this time. Apparently they did some rescuing in Marikina during Ondoy. When she texted "GOD HELP THEM", I thought, oh dear...poor Santa Rosa...what happened. I have not really seen pictures of the place. In the news there was video footage of Binan's floods, a clip of Binan's mayor doing inspections. All I could imagine was perhaps news teams had difficulty even reaching Santa Rosa.
My concern was calmed after life saver friend replied that what they saw was people happily fishing on the streets. That's the Filipino for you. Thank goodness (sometimes) for this attitude. (An aside, this calls to mind what I found in my files recently...an essay I wrote for the university paper--that's 20+ years ago--about the Filipino's smiles in times of trouble).
Unfortunately, I do not have any interesting photos to post with this post. In my younger, childless years, I would have gone out during the lull to take photos. In our former location in Makati, I did take photos of the flooding outside our home, similar to what this friend-i've-never-met-except-in-the-santa rosa-blogosphere has posted:
http://returnedretiree.blogspot.com/2013/08/rain.html
Dear retiree friend, I was shocked too to see your photos. I have not seen pics of Santa Rosa these past two days. Well, I have not actually searched online. I did think of you all day yesterday, knowing you are in the bayan area. Shocked, yet relieved to see you are okay. Stay safe.
P.S. I am not a fan of Wagner; but the description coupled with "rain rage" is so apt, in my humble opinion, and would now like to put some of that music on.
Now back to fishing in Santa Rosa streets...I wonder what the catch is. I would like to know HOW they're catching the fish. Mudfish, maybe. How are the koi in Nuvali? I've coincidentally sent my husband to shop for groceries, telling him to ignore the fresh seafood section, as prices are surely up owing to the constant rains.
Showing posts with label flood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flood. Show all posts
20 August, 2013
19 August, 2013
Santa Rosa, Laguna state of calamity
I've often said we are in a part of Santa Rosa that is largely unaffected by flooding from rains. We are higher and away from the Laguna de Bay.
As I type I am listening to the Mayor Arlene Arcillas speaking on the news about 15 of 18 barangays being submerged. It rained continuously since yesterday. She says the town proper is submerged.
Binan, Laguna is also flooded.
There was a report of a flash flood in the Southwoods exit on the SLEX (Southern Luzon Expressway).
Anyway, friends, time to put together goods for donation. The Mayor is saying companies like San Miguel and Asia Brewery who have factories in the city are providing assistance.
Okay the broadcaster is asking her where exactly she is located. I am curious too. Where is she? "In the car""...she says. Okay mayor, where exactly is your car now? Just wondering.
As I type I am listening to the Mayor Arlene Arcillas speaking on the news about 15 of 18 barangays being submerged. It rained continuously since yesterday. She says the town proper is submerged.
Binan, Laguna is also flooded.
There was a report of a flash flood in the Southwoods exit on the SLEX (Southern Luzon Expressway).
Anyway, friends, time to put together goods for donation. The Mayor is saying companies like San Miguel and Asia Brewery who have factories in the city are providing assistance.
Okay the broadcaster is asking her where exactly she is located. I am curious too. Where is she? "In the car""...she says. Okay mayor, where exactly is your car now? Just wondering.
07 August, 2012
"The flooded"
That is what my four year old says when I turn on the news on TV. Born in 2008, the child has come to view "flooded" as a common occurrence but outside of her dear "Sanna Rowza" (I blame cartoons for the accent. I have taken to saying Santa Rosa like a Mexican would just to correct this).
But I am not trying to be funny today. If I try, it's to make up for lack of sunshine, and because of the sad and anxiety-inducing videos on all the local news channels this morning. It's been raining for too long, and the Marikina river is nearing 20mm as I type. I feel so much for the people on roofs, for people watching the water rise from the windows. I remember the dread. It's what got us to finally move out of where we were, and to this place.
In 2008, when my child was just 3 months old, the creek that runs behind our apartment overflowed for the first time since we moved in in 2002. In 2002, right before we moved in in September, there was a warning. The first floor guest toilet had silt around its drain. Our neighbor's driver welcomed us to the village by telling us how snakes and creatures had flowed through from the rear to the front in the past. So for the next three years, there were efficient dredging operations right before the no-fail 1st week of September flooding on that street. The flood never entered the houses and were not due to the creek. It always receded quickly so people were complacent. Until 2007.
Actually our warning came in September 2007, right when I conceived. We came home from a trip away to find our garage with silt. The cat's dishes were everywhere, my "outside slippers" were separated. One was gone, the other was somewhere far. Clearly, the garage had flooded. It happened the day before our arrival.
It was then I learned from helpers that the first week of September ALWAYS saw a flood on our street.
Fast forward to September 2008. I nervously watched from the window as the water level on the street rose. My then 3 month old baby was nursing quietly. It was 6pm. Baby at breast*, I inspected the emergency exit grills, figuring out how to get out on to the garage roof. And from the roof, would there be a boat? I called my dad in a panic, asking about how to ask for a 6x6 truck from the military. I was that afraid.
It was too dark by then to see the creek from the other bedroom. But I heard the water raging and when I shone a flashlight on it, it was horribly high. My husband then hollered that water was entering our back door! I tossed him the big synthetic-fabric "Ilocos" blanket as he duct-taped the door bottom. The water that entered was then filtered! It was unbelievably clear. We shut the power off, quickly grabbed the bread and water bottles for my baby to take upstairs. By then my baby was asleep in her crib. I looked out the window to the next door neighbor's house and saw their helpers frantically mopping up water in their dining room too. But why was their power still on?!
Meanwhile the helpers out on the street were cheerful, laughing. I felt so helpless, as I felt they did not know water was coming in from the creek.
To this day I am so grateful the water reached only my tsinelas. My feet did not even get wet.
And the next year, by January, we made the decision to move. Not due mainly to the flood, but as we learned by Ondoy 2009, a truly good move we were blessed to have been able to make.
*An aside: This situation made me 100 times more grateful than I already was about breastfeeding. Contamination-free, and available anytime unless mom is under extreme stress from the conditions. I was surprised my baby quietly nursed that evening all while I moved about stressing over the flood. She slept just as well, more soundly than usual in fact. My husband and I went about cleaning up the portion of the first floor in the dark, and having pizza delivered while she slept.
But I am not trying to be funny today. If I try, it's to make up for lack of sunshine, and because of the sad and anxiety-inducing videos on all the local news channels this morning. It's been raining for too long, and the Marikina river is nearing 20mm as I type. I feel so much for the people on roofs, for people watching the water rise from the windows. I remember the dread. It's what got us to finally move out of where we were, and to this place.
In 2008, when my child was just 3 months old, the creek that runs behind our apartment overflowed for the first time since we moved in in 2002. In 2002, right before we moved in in September, there was a warning. The first floor guest toilet had silt around its drain. Our neighbor's driver welcomed us to the village by telling us how snakes and creatures had flowed through from the rear to the front in the past. So for the next three years, there were efficient dredging operations right before the no-fail 1st week of September flooding on that street. The flood never entered the houses and were not due to the creek. It always receded quickly so people were complacent. Until 2007.
Actually our warning came in September 2007, right when I conceived. We came home from a trip away to find our garage with silt. The cat's dishes were everywhere, my "outside slippers" were separated. One was gone, the other was somewhere far. Clearly, the garage had flooded. It happened the day before our arrival.
It was then I learned from helpers that the first week of September ALWAYS saw a flood on our street.
Fast forward to September 2008. I nervously watched from the window as the water level on the street rose. My then 3 month old baby was nursing quietly. It was 6pm. Baby at breast*, I inspected the emergency exit grills, figuring out how to get out on to the garage roof. And from the roof, would there be a boat? I called my dad in a panic, asking about how to ask for a 6x6 truck from the military. I was that afraid.
It was too dark by then to see the creek from the other bedroom. But I heard the water raging and when I shone a flashlight on it, it was horribly high. My husband then hollered that water was entering our back door! I tossed him the big synthetic-fabric "Ilocos" blanket as he duct-taped the door bottom. The water that entered was then filtered! It was unbelievably clear. We shut the power off, quickly grabbed the bread and water bottles for my baby to take upstairs. By then my baby was asleep in her crib. I looked out the window to the next door neighbor's house and saw their helpers frantically mopping up water in their dining room too. But why was their power still on?!
Meanwhile the helpers out on the street were cheerful, laughing. I felt so helpless, as I felt they did not know water was coming in from the creek.
To this day I am so grateful the water reached only my tsinelas. My feet did not even get wet.
And the next year, by January, we made the decision to move. Not due mainly to the flood, but as we learned by Ondoy 2009, a truly good move we were blessed to have been able to make.
*An aside: This situation made me 100 times more grateful than I already was about breastfeeding. Contamination-free, and available anytime unless mom is under extreme stress from the conditions. I was surprised my baby quietly nursed that evening all while I moved about stressing over the flood. She slept just as well, more soundly than usual in fact. My husband and I went about cleaning up the portion of the first floor in the dark, and having pizza delivered while she slept.
18 June, 2012
sunny in Sta. Rosa
Sorry to hear about flooding in Quezon City today, and suspension of classes. The news says it is due to rains brought by the tropical storm Butchoy, which coincided with a high tide.
The sun is shining over here and I am trying to see about visiting Jose Rizal's house in Calamba. It's his birthday tomorrow.
The sun is shining over here and I am trying to see about visiting Jose Rizal's house in Calamba. It's his birthday tomorrow.
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