Typhoon Ondoy / Tropical Storm Ketsana leaves Northern Philippines in a state of Calamity

September 27, 2009 10:51 PM

410mm of rain fell over Northern Luzon, Philippines on September 25, 2009, leaving much of the country's capital and the surrounding regions submerged in water, reaching up to nine feet in some areas. As of latest coverage, over 100 were killed and 340,000 affected by the Typhoon. This amount has been the highest recorded amount of rainfall since the country's weather Bureau started recording rainfall levels in 1967, and exceeds the rainfall level of Hurrican Katrina (380mm). Two more tropical depressions could be under way in the midst of Ondoy's wake. As of now, there are still families stranded on the rooftops of their homes without food and potable water. Most relief aid is coming from volunteers. As for the country's president? She used the Php800M(USD16.8M) emergency fund for foreign trips. See the damage. International News Coverage: NYT Reuters CNN BBC

Here are locations in the Philippines placed under a state of calamity due to Typhoon Ondoy/Tropical Storm Ketsana.

Here's a situation map of those affected in Metro Manila / Marikina (hardest hit by the flood). Conversely, a Google map of drop-off points for donations./


Send relief (local / international) : How to help.

Aggregated information at Ondoy Relief. Typhoon Ondoy. PinoyTumblr. Ondoy Tumblr.

At this point, Social Media (facebook, twitter, etc.) has been helping more than cellphones, landlines, which are dead. Telecom infrastructure could not support calamity.

The massive number of volunteers and donations is offsetting the incapacity of the government to help. Filipinos call it the bayanihan spirit. And so I leave you with this post on the matter that will hopefully stir and inspire us all.

posted by drea (23 comments total)

Online Database of People who need rescuing.

Twitter celebrities call attention to Philippines' plight: Demi Moore, Paolo Coelho, Josh Groban, Ashton Kutcher, Alyssa Milano, Yoko Ono.

More pictures from Yahoo.
posted by drea at 11:08 PM on September 27, 2009

That Google Maps link goes to something about the San Francisco Olympic Torch Relay from 2008 alongside a map of the Philippines.
posted by cmgonzalez at 11:18 PM on September 27, 2009

More ways to help.
posted by dragonette1 at 11:21 PM on September 27, 2009

Most of the rescue operations have actually come from the Civilians. From the government, there are 30 rescue boats and five military trucks going around. Many corporations have been lending their own speedboats / choppers.

There is a surplus of volunteers at one of the evacuation centers, Ateneo de Manila University. But donations are needed more.
posted by drea at 11:49 PM on September 27, 2009

That Google Maps link goes to something about the San Francisco Olympic Torch Relay from 2008 alongside a map of the Philippines.

Really? Not for me. Link looks fine. Anybody who wants to donate via Paypal can do so here. Thanks for putting this up Drea. Hope you're safe wherever you are.
posted by micketymoc at 12:05 AM on September 28, 2009

I was in Manila the week before the floods and just from my impression speaking with a number of Manila residents, there was outright disdain and hate for "GMA" (as the Filipino press calls her) before Ondoy. With the aftermath of Ondoy, and it having hit Metro Manila, I think Arroyo has no chance for any changes to the constitution (which she wants so she can try to extend her presidency.)
posted by gen at 12:25 AM on September 28, 2009

Here's a news article of an 18-year old construction worker who loses his life after saving thirty in the flood.
posted by drea at 1:12 AM on September 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

Thanks for sharing all these links, drea.

I'm starting a nonprofit design school in Manila. For over six months we've been preparing for a huge fundraiser that was set to launch yesterday.

Didn't happen, of course. Don't get me wrong, this isn't a complaint. Right now I'm counting my blessings. About an hour ago I got a call from the last of our students that he was safe. All our volunteers and everyone connected to our organization are safe. All my friends are safe.

All day I've felt absolutely miserable. Not because the flooding has had an affect on any of my property, but just an overall depression. Getting that call made my day and I feel like it's a new morning for me, in the middle of the afternoon.

I'm continually amazed by how tightly Filipinos unite during times like these.
posted by ferdinandcc at 2:57 AM on September 28, 2009

Sounds like Katrina all over again.

- Not big news blip at first , but getting worse every minute? - check
- Horrific vids that seem unbelievable? - check
- World watching lives slip away in real time? - check
- Arrogant government corruption? - check
- Civilians diving in to make up for gov incompetence? - check

... years and years and years of recovery ahead ... so sad.

I hope they can at least skip the Barbara Bush in Houston part.
posted by Surfurrus at 3:08 AM on September 28, 2009

Ferdinandcc, I've seen that magazine and the website. Really inspired by what you've started, and I'm glad everyone close to you is safe. It's business as usual where I'm at, but I've been helping out where I can, posting info.

Personally the tragedy hasn't sunk in as much as how so many Filipinos rose up to the occasion and started volunteering. I don't want to gloss over the tragedies, but this has definitely lifted my spirits.
posted by drea at 3:40 AM on September 28, 2009

My wife's family lives there, and it really is as bad as it seems. They have family friends who have seen dead bodies floating in the street, and it is possible that several relatives will have lost everything in the flooding. Right now, it's very difficult to get an accurate picture, because among other things, the flooding has knocked out almost all of Manila's cell phone towers, and landlines are virtually worthless right now.

Also here are some links to English-language Filipino newspapers covering the story:
The Manila Bulletin
The Manila Times
PhilStar
posted by thewittyname at 6:21 AM on September 28, 2009

ONDOY You Fucking Asshole.
posted by cashman at 6:23 AM on September 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

Surfurrus, it looks like they've already skipped the part where the government keeps would-be civilian rescuers out at gunpoint.
posted by localroger at 6:41 AM on September 28, 2009

I am guessing that in the next few months or so, almost every one of our politicians will be milking this disaster for all its worth by suddenly making it a cornerstone of their platforms for the upcoming elections next year. More funding for disaster preparedness (a.k.a. more rubber boats), better infrastructure, housing.

Hopefully this same disaster enlightens us on the real changes we need to initiate in our government.
posted by FarOutFreak at 7:23 AM on September 28, 2009

Sounds like Katrina all over again.

But worse. Population density in metro Manila is over forty-times that of New Orleans.
posted by nathan_teske at 7:27 AM on September 28, 2009

When Katrina had hit, I had a few days of vacation eating a hole in my paycheck, and after seeing the images on TV and listening to commentators describing how, "this doesn't look like America, this looks like some Third World country" I remembered that I owed a little something to the Western aid workers that I met as a child in Manila, and so decided to go to Biloxi and spend my vacation helping out with cleanup and reconstruction efforts there.

That's my Katrina related typhoon tangent for this thread.
posted by bl1nk at 8:12 AM on September 28, 2009 [1 favorite]

Republican talking point going forward, as regards floods: water is good, water is natural, plants love water, water's been here longer than we have (more than six thousand years even?), there have always been floods, nothing to worry about here, move along. Basically, just replace carbon dioxide in their CO2 talking points with water. If they use whiteout and the same paperwork, they'll even say they're environmentally friendly as they do it.
posted by jamstigator at 9:26 AM on September 28, 2009

Lots of pictures posted to Twitter: http://twitcaps.com/s/ondoy
posted by BoatMeme at 11:02 AM on September 28, 2009

Thanks for this. Made some Red Cross donation jars and distributed them to local businesses this afternoon. DIY motherfuckers.
posted by ixohoxi at 12:42 PM on September 28, 2009

That video on the BBC site -- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8277018.stm -- is deeply disturbing.

I get a familiar pain in my stomach about how this tragedy is unfolding w/little media concern. They report 'deaths' (as though the number could be counted!) - and bury the number of people homeless (now almost half a million) in the bottom of stories.

This is tomorrow's news story?
posted by Surfurrus at 1:32 PM on September 28, 2009

If anyone else was a dope like me who got confused about how to donate from abroad, here's a helpful post of information for how to donate online, by phone, and/or through your community (e.g. dropping off items to get shipped).
posted by cobwebberies at 9:56 AM on September 29, 2009 [1 favorite]

Mefi's own The Big Picture -

Typhoon Ketsana (Ondoy)
About a week ago, Typhoon Ketsana (known in the Phillippines as "Ondoy") made landfall, and according to the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Ketsana dropped 455 mm (17.9 in) of rain on Metro Manila in a span of 24 hours on Saturday - the most in 42 years. A month's worth of rainfall in a single day washed away homes and flooded large areas, stranding thousands on rooftops in the city and elsewhere. Ketsana later crossed over to Vietnam and Cambodia, where it is still active. Over 360 people are known to have been killed, and damage estimates are reaching $100 million. Unfortunately, another tropical storm may be headed toward the southern Philippines on Wednesday but is still 1,000 km (600 mi) off the coast. Here is a selection of photographs from the affected areas over the past week. (36 photos total)
posted by cashman at 10:15 AM on September 30, 2009

Just wanted to highlight cobwebberies excellent link about helping out. It is a huge wealth of information on how you can help from your own community, places where your donated funds will be matched and where you can drop off supplies to be shipped over. Thanks cobwebberies!
posted by dog food sugar at 5:23 PM on September 30, 2009