Philippines-Typhoon Islands

The Philippine Islands lie in the path of the typhoons that originate in the Pacific Ocean. There are around 20 of these typhoons that blow through the Philippines every year during the monsoon season. The islands are the first hit by these weather monsters before wreaking more havoc in Southeast Asia.

Last week, what was dubbed as the Philippine ‘Katrina’ slammed into the capital, Metro Manila, and its environs. A month’s worth of rain fell in just 12 hours; the result, the worst floods in over four decades. It was Katrina times 5. The death toll, still being tabulated, is so far in the hundreds. Many more are still missing. Thousands of families have either lost their homes entirely or have had all their belongings ruined by the floods. People were stranded on rooftops as the raging floodwaters rose to overhead levels. Rivers overflowed, dams spilled over, streets turned into surging canals, malls into refugee centers. Over two and a half million people were severely affected by this typhoon named “Ondoy”.

Sadly, the government was unprepared for a calamity of this magnitude. It was a case of too little, too late. The real heroes were the regular folks who stepped up and, utilizing social media networks, organized community rescue brigades and voluntarily improvised food and shelter services for the flood victims. After the storm, the country is reeling….and weeping.