August 2012
It’s raining cats and dogs here. While I’m typing this, rain has been pouring nonstop and many areas are already submerged in flood, families are being rescued and relocated to evacuation centers, and classes for tomorrow are being suspended one by one.
Aside from the leak on our bedroom from the ceiling, so far, we’re doing okay. But it doesn’t mean we’re just gonna sit here and do nothing. I want to be better prepared now than how we were during Ondoy.
Let me share the pictures back then.
Our screen door and blinds 😐 Yes, that’s our furniture. 😐
Sorry for the quality. I was using my china-made mp4 player with camera. Some pictures are too small to post here so I didn’t include them.
We were fortunate enough that my uncle’s house has an upper floor. We were fortunate to have some food to share, even if it was just a couple of canned goods, a half-full rice cooker and clean water in bottles. Our neighbor helped us carry my grandpa upstairs, who was bed-ridden at the time.
Truth is, I’m scared. Everyone is. We don’t want another Ondoy (or Habagat or Yolanda). It was one of those hard times where we’ve seen people riding on big trucks because they want to go to evacuation centers for food, medicine and shelter. Traffic along Marcos Highway was bumper to bumper. A lot of people were walking. Vehicles were damaged. It felt like a scene off of The Walking Dead (the one with the road packed with cars).
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Disaster Preparedness
No matter how we long we do the sun dance, rain’s not gonna stop like that. The best thing we could do is to be prepared.
Here are some precautionary measures:
- Make sure we have supplies such as
- food, preferably those that don’t spoil fast and ready-to-eat like canned goods, bread, crackers
- clean water
- batteries and battery-powered radio
- candles and matches or battery-powered lamp and flashlights
- fan
- warm, clean clothes to wear
- first aid kit
- medicine for common illness and my grandma’s medication
- butane gas for our indoor cooking stove
- tissue, wet wipes, alcohol
- All gadgets should be fully charged as well as extra batteries and stored in a waterproof bag. In case your phone gets submerged in flood water, do not attempt to open it. Take off the battery, if possible, and bury both in a container with uncooked rice to absorb moisture.
- All mobile phones should have sufficient load in case of emergency
- Keep tabs on everyone’s situation (our family and my friends are scattered all over NCR)
- Park your car somewhere that doesn’t get flooded easily (during Ondoy, my uncle got stranded on his way back here. he parked the car inside the mall to avoid damage)
- When the flood water starts to get inside your house, unplug all appliances and turn off your electricity from the fuse box to avoid electrocution
Here are some important information for #GlendaPH:
Monitor current weather situation in real-time:
Important Twitter accounts to follow and contact numbers to take note:
- PAGASA-DOST for weather updates.
- GOV.PH
- NAIA-MIAA for flight-related announcements.
- MMDA for traffic situation / road blocks / flooding.
- City-specific announcements
- Caloocan (inactive)
- Las Pinas (FB)
- Makati
- call 168 for PLDT landlines
- 8701920, 8701923, 8701929 for other providers
- Malabon
- Mandaluyong
- Manila
- Marikina
- Muntinlupa
- Navotas
- Paranaque
- Pasay
- Pasig
- Pateros
- Quezon City
- San Juan
- Taguig
- Emergency Response Center: 165-7777
- Rescue Hotline: 623-5244
- Rescue Office: 0917-5503727
- Valenzuela
Time and again, I believe we should take care of our environment: dispose wastes properly and use eco-friendly stuff. This will help prevent waterways to get clogged, thus minimizing (if not eliminating) flooding in our community. Small things like this can also help our ozone layer, air quality, etc.
Students are probably happy that classes are suspended but do keep those who are very affected with the current weather situation in your thoughts and prayers.
“Be sensitive to each other’s needs – don’t think yourselves better than others”
Romans 12:16
5 am and it’s still pouring! My parents just came home about 230 am after being trapped in a flooded street for six hours! Hoping for the best this day. Thanks for the tips.
I wasn’t able to sleep well, there was a time na umaangge saken yung ulan. Let’s keep on praying :’)
For sure, nobody wants another Ondoy. I hope for your safety.. your family as well. Don’t forget to stick with your list of emergency numbers and contacts, just in case.
Thank you. I pray for yours and your family as well. I added the list of emergency numbers just now. :’)
Wow, this is terrible. Makes me contemplate how lucky I am to live in Cebu. Our weather here right now is the best we ever had. The worst catastrophe I ever had was that one in the early ’90s. Everything went down and all we had was crackers for several days.
Ours was in a better situation than most people, I can’t imagine what they have gone through. A friend of mine was stranded in Marikina and fought for her safety just to get home and evacuate with her family 🙁
Just got back here in Manila last night and Marcos Hway’s a little flooded when I passed by last night (around 12 midnight). We should be prepared at all times for whatever disaster that might hit our place (earthquake, flood, etc). I do hope you’re safe. 🙂
I hope you are and your family are safe din po 🙂
Thanks for posting the emergency hotline numbers. Information such as this will be very handy at times like this.
It’s been scary that the rains has been non-stop. I hope that it won’t be another Ondoy too. Great tips by the way.
I work at Marikina as a teacher. I remember the horror and aftermath of what happened. Our school is situated along Marcos Hiway. During Ondoy, the flood reached our school but it was only mid leg high. I live at Quezon City and I am thankful to God that my family is safe. But I’m keeping everyone in my prayers… Stay safe din.
There are a couple of schools I can name to guess where you teach 😉
The flood in Marcos Highway is deepest in Filinvest – Kingsville area 🙁
I was watching the news since last night, and this morning when I woke up. The Sky here in Baguio is clear. I was supposed to go back to Cavite today but my friend told me to watch the news because Manila is submerged in water and it is flooded all over the North. I was hoping and also praying that Ondoy won’t have a repeat. Good thing, we have learned from the past and most people are ready and officials are already alert..
It’s scary that monsoon rains can cause this. In the part of people and officials being ready, that’s a big improvement. But, we wouldn’t be flooded if people would care for the environment.
I am sorry to read this..
But more than any material things which we lost , it is important to have our family with us. God Bless.
True. God bless!
I was curious if you ever thought of changing the layout of your website? Its very well written; I love what youve got to say. But maybe you could a little more in the way of content so people could connect with it better. Youve got an awful lot of text for only having 1 or 2 pictures. Maybe you could space it out better?
It’s a good post.
I am a follower on FB and Twitter and also subscribed to your site since you were on wordpress. I adore your website.