Typhoon "Glenda" (code name Rammasum) came and went. It was a 'fast' typhoon. As early as 3:00 am, I woke up with the sound of the winds howling, my wind chime going crazy and potted plants toppled down my balcony.
It was definitely a strong typhoon with sustained winds of 185 kph and gustiness of 230 kph. A report the day before said that "[It is] the strongest storm to threaten the country since Yolanda, a category-five super typhoon that wiped out nearly everything in its path when it crossed the central Philippines... On its current path, it will also be the first to score a direct hit on Manila in at least four years."
I posted a photo on instagram showing the aftermath of Glenda (clockwise from the top) Manila Bay, flooding infront of La Salle Greenhills in my hood, a tree crushed a parked toyota in Magallanes Village and the side of the newly-built Glorietta 5 peeled off.
avocado tree gone (photo via @RocaCruz)
Before noon, the winds started to die down as Glenda moved towards Zambales and eventually exited the country. Fortunately, not much rain was dumped in the city but the winds knocked down several trees, including century old trees even electricity pole lines. In fact, in our house, the trees in the backyard were knocked down including the giant avocado tree I planted ages ago. :-(
century-old tree in front of Kalayaan Hall in Malacañang Palace uprooted (photo via @willliardcheng)
a giant tree crushed a home in Quezon City
Right now, dark clouds are looming. There is a new weather disturbance brewing in the South Pacific and according to the US Joint Typhoon Watch Center, this may intensify into another tropical storm within the next 24 hours and will be called "Henry" (international code name "Matmo'). The system has maximum sustained winds of 130 kph and gusts of up to 160 kph.
Robert Speta of Western Pacific Weather warned that the model outlook "indicate a tropic storm possibly following the same track as Rammasun, with the same steering dynamics in place this would not be very far fetched."
Meantime, I'm going to charge my battery packs and keep praying that the storm steers up northward.
As early as Monday Novemer 4, I warned my office e-Group of two impending typhoons. The tile of my email was "in case you're wondering why it's raining - Krosa (Vinta) out, Wilma next and another one...".
I am no meteorologist (although I took a Meteorology 101 course in college). I chanced upon the warning when I was checking out the accuweather.com for the forecast in Japan for my upcoming trip. Senior meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski on November 3 wrote ".. another more threatening storm looks to follow this one for the middle end of next week. The nation's capital of Manila escaped being significantly impacted from Krosa, but the city may fare worse next week.... The second of the two systems will likely be the stronger of the two and ... would mean not only a return of the heavy rain, but also damaging winds."
With that post, I started monitoring the system. Two days later on November 5, Pydnynowski called the approaching system as a 'monster typhoon' and wrote "The expected track of Haiyan will take it directly over the areas hardest hit by a powerful 7.1 magnitude earthquake that killed more than 150 people in the middle of October."
There were storm chasers already billeted in Tacloban and even CNN's Andrew Stevens was there. The last thing I saw that fateful Friday, was the report of ABS-CBN broadcast journalist on the morning show (clip below) saying that the winds were howl, visibility bad, the roads were empty and the water rising. After that, zilch! News blackout.
Monster typhoon Yolanda, packing 314 km per hour winds , is unprecedented and to date, the strongest storms ever recorded in history. In fact, the highest Philippine Public Storm Signal Warning is up to #4 which is defined as a very intense typhoon with very strong winds of more than 185 kph may be expected in at least 12 hours. Eastern Visayan, particularly Samar and Leyte, were the hardest hit provinces, with the typhoon making its first landfall at 4 am in Guian. Note that my favorite resort in Guian was completely wiped out. As of today, the National Risk Reduction and Management Council reported 4,000 fatalities and 1,600 missing.
Here is an eyewitness video (12:24min) taken by a storm chaser (icyclone.com):
And here is a rare footage (1:30min) taken by a community development worker of the storm surge that destroyed the house next door in seconds:
Currently there is an outpouring of support from everyone, from all walks of life, locally and internationally -embassies, corporations, celebrities. Even my neighbors have pitched in to help. In my apartment building, there is a huge balikbayan box stationed in the lobby to drop off donations.
It's been two weeks and now the focus is how to rebuild the cities. I caught the interview of Joey Salceda on TV where the interviewer was insisting on fault finding and he said 'move on na tayo.' lets think positive.
It's actually 18 days till the predicted doomsday on December 21, 2012 but down south in the eastern coast of Mindanao, it may well be sooner. My friend posted the typhoon warning on Facebook last Saturday. She said "It seems that the end of the world is coming sooner to Siargao than the rest of the planet." Well, with the 44-ft wave forecast at 3pm tomorrow (encircled in red below), I guess a tsunami is expected to hit the island. Most of them (including her great dane 'Napo') have already been herded to higher ground.
As of this writing, super typhoon Pablo (international code name Bopha) is supposed to be in the Philippines' Area of Responsibility (PAR) already. The typhoon is carrying winds of up to 250 kph and is expected to make landfall over the Surigao area (direct hit) tomorrow. This is the 16th storm to enter the Philippines and is much stronger than last year's December typhoon Sendongwhich packed winds up to 75kph.
Windguru concurs that waves may reach more than 40-feet tomorrow in Siargao; however, it will be much earlier from 6am to 12noon. The rainfall is heavy from 8.7 to 15.7 mm per hour.
Thank God Manila is spared! Public storm warning signal #2 has been hoisted over the following areas: Surigao del Norte, Surigao Island, Dinagat Island, Augsan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Davao Oriental, Davao del Norter, Compostela Valley, Bukidnon, Misamis Occidental and Oriental, Camiguin, Lanao del Norte and Sur, Siquijor, Bohol, Biliran, Camotes Island, Souhern Leyte, Leyte, Eastern and Western Samar.
Let's do pray that the typhoon slows down and will not wreak havoc in the Visayas and Mindanao areas.
Another freaky Ondoy-like weather disturbance hit Mindanao last weekend. Typhoon Sendong (international codename Washi) dumped a total of 181 millimeters of rainfall in just 24 hours causing flash floods. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director Benito Ramos, there are over 500 casualties (and still counting). The hardest hit are Iligan City (214) in Lanao del Norte and Cagayan de Oro (252) in Misamis Oriental.
I heard on DZMM this morning that water - especially clean drinking water - is needed and right now water is being rationed. Below is a compilation by jsantos
of organizations mobilizing efforts to assist in disaster relief operations to
help typhoon victims.
Donations in-kind are being
accepted at the locations listed below.
Metro Manila:
Sagip Kapamilya
ABS-CBN Foundation Inc, Mother Ignacia cor. Eugenio Lopez St., Quezon City
Cagayan de Oro ABS-CBN, Barangay Bulua, Cagayan De Oro City
Davao
ABS-CBN, Shrine Hills, Matina, Davao City
Cash Donations can be received
through the accounts listed below.
1. BDO Peso Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 39301-14199
Swift Code: BNORPHMM
2. BDO Dollar Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 39300-81622
Swift Code: BNORPHMM
3. PNB Peso Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 419-539-5000-13
Swift Code: PNBMPHMM
4. BPI Peso Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 3051-1127-75
Branch: West Triangle, Quezon City
Swift Code: BOPIPHMM
5. BPI Dollar Account
Account name: ABS-CBN Foundation Inc.-Sagip Kapamilya
Account Number: 3054-0270-35
Branch: West Triangle, Quezon City
Swift Code: BOPIPHMM
If you would like to donate via
your mobile phone you send via the following methods.
Red Cross (via Globe)
Text RED < amount > to 2899. You may transfer P5, 25, 50, 100, 300, 500
Red Cross (via Smart) Text RED < amount > to 4143. Valid donation amounts 10, 25, 50, 100
———-
LA SALLE GREENHILS Alumni Office — 721-2729, 722-7750, 725-4720
GS Principal — 721-2482
HS Principal — 721-8914
Buildings and Grounds Office — 721-8904 (Telefax)
La Sallian Mission Office — 726-5851 (Telefax)
La Salle will begin accepting
donations starting on Monday, 19 December 2011.
Donations in cash and kind can be received at Gate 2 of La Salle Green Hills at
343 Ortigas Avenue, Mandaluyong City 1550.
Please call any of the numbers
above for inquiries.
———-
XAVIER
UNIVERSITY CAGAYAN DE ORO
Fr.
Eric Garcia Velandria S.J.
Coordinator of Sendong Operation,
KKP Office, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Corrales Ave., 9000 Cagayan de
Oro City, Philippines. Click here for website
The
Xavier University Relief Center is conducting a relief operation for
families affected by Bagyong Sendong.They are asking for donations in cash,
food, bottled water, clean clothes.
Donations
are being accepted at the Helpdesk set up at the University’s front gate or at
the Relief Center at the Satellite Canteen near the College of Agriculture
building (beside the gymnasium). Personnel and student volunteers are being
deployed to buy, pack and deliver relief goods all over the City, under the
direction of the University Chaplain.
You can drop them off at the Xavier
University KKP-SIO.
Volunteers also needed @DSWD (Masterson Rd, Upper Carmen).
Call 09066150095 or 858-8892.
Cash donations can be
deposited at this account:
Account Name: Xavier University
Account Number: 9331-0133-63
BPI MAIN BRANCH
———-
ILIGAN BLOGGERS
SOCIETY
Iligan Bloggers Society, Inc. is
accepting donations in kind: canned goods, noodles, bath and laundry soaps,
toothpaste, rice, used clothings, slippers.
Drop Off Points:
Iligan-based Donors: St. Michaels’ Cathedral, DXIC Radio Station, City Hall,
Rizal Park, and Calda Pizza Iligan City Branch
Non-Iligan Based Donors: Ship your
donations via LBC for FREE (details below) and send it to the address:
ONE FOR ILIGAN (Iligan Bloggers
Society, Inc.)
c/o CALDA Pizza, The Strip, Quezon Ave, Pala-o,Iligan City, 9200
LBC will accept and deliver for
FREE relief goods. Donations may dropped off at any LBC branch nationwide.
Contact #: +632.858.5999 or +632.858.5999 www.lbcexpress.com
———-
GLOBE G-CASH Text DONATE(space)AMOUNT(space)MPIN(space)SLB and send to 2882
———-
PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER
Relief Goods: Canned goods,
noodles, rice, water, medicine, hygiene kits, clothes and blankets.
Drop-off address: PDI Office, 1098 Chino Roces Ave. at Mascardo and Yague
Streets, Makati City.
Cash donations: Inquirer Help
Fund’s
Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), C/A# 4951-0067-56 for account Philippine
Daily Inquirer Inc.
Contact: Bianca Kasilag, Connie
Kalagayan at +632.897.8808 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting+632.897.8808end_of_the_skype_highlighting
———-
PHILIPPINE AIRLINES
PAL is offering to fly
free-of-charge disaster relief donations from reputable NGOs, companies,
religious groups.
Donations must be addressed
to designated recipients in Cagayan de Oro and Dipolog. Recipients of donations
should send their representatives to the Cagayan de Oro and Dipolog airports to
receive their goods. Goods will be carried as cargo on any of the 5
daily flights to Cagayan de Oro, and weekly flights to Dipolog.Priority items
will be medicines and foodstuffs (lightweight, non-bulky essential items).
PAL will require the following
information regarding your disaster relief donations:
1. full details of the sending and
the receiving organizations;
2. the description of the relief goods;
3. the quantity and weight of the boxes;
PAL will not accept rice, water or
other items that might be “more economically procured” in-and-around Cagayan de
Oro.
Neither will the airline accept non-essential goods such as toys and books.
ROCK ED PHILIPPINES
Contact: Gang Badoy @gangbadoy (Twitter)
Through Rock Ed (Iligan) has set up a temporary soup kitchen for the homeless.
To donate funds to keep a flow of hot meals going, you can do so through the
account listed below.
Rock Ed Philippines, BPI Loyola
Heights, A/C# 3080.0073.44
———-
DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL
WELFARE & DEVELOPMENT
DSWD Cagayan de Oro
CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS to repack relief goods.
Fr. Masterson Avenue, Upper Carmen
Cagayan de Oro City +63906.615.0095 or +63906.615.0095
The Rural Missionaries of
Mindanao is accepting donations in kind in the cities below.
Cagayan de Oro City and Misamis
Oriental
Panday Bulig Relief and Rehabilitaion Center
Tabang Mindanao Center
12th-22nd streets, Nazareth, 9000 Cagayan de Oro City
T/F: +63 (88) 856 6413
E: pandaybulig@gmail.com (look for Ms. Beryl Tranco)
Iligan
City
Rural Missionaries of the Philippines
Northern Mindanao Sub-Region
Room 01, Kalinaw Lanao Center, 0016 Bougainvilla Puti, Villaverde, 9200 Iligan
City
T/F: +63 223 5179
E: rmpnmr@gmail.com W: www.rmp-nmr.org
(look for Ms. Ida Melody Bucog)
Bukidnon Bukidnon
Peoples’ Center
1st Floor, Montero Residence, Purok 4, Pantaron St., Poblacion, Valencia City
Mobile #: 0926-592-1806
Contact: Zaldy Galamiton)
The Rural Missionaries of
Mindanao is accepting cash donations through the account listed below.
Bank of the Philippine Islands
(BPI)
Quezon Avenue branch, 9200 Iligan City, Philippines
A/C # 009359-1348-08
Swift Code: BOPIPHMM
For Account Name: RMP-NMR Inc.
Room 01, Kalinaw Lanao Center for Interfaith Resources
0016 Bougainvilla Puti, Villaverde
Iligan City 9200, Philippines
The month of September seems to bring in the killer typhoons in the Philippines. Milenyo (international code name Xangsang) was on September 28, 2006 and responsible for 200 deaths. Ondoy (Ketsana) was on September 26, 2009 and brought the most rainfall at 455 milimiters, almost double that of the United States' Katrina at 250 milimeters of rain. The death toll passed the 300 mark.
And on the anniversary of the fateful Ondoy, came Pedring (Nesat), the 17th storm that hit the country. I must hand it to PAGASA's (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophsycial and Astromical Services) new administrator Nathaniel T. Servando. His office was relentless in giving updates when it was first spotted as a low pressure area to a Tropical Storm (TS) until it inensified into a full blown Typhoon. I was in Malapascua's Gato Island diving when I read the TS and gale warnings on my twitter feed which I promptly shared with my fellow divers and boatmen.
Photo posted on Facebook
With the repeated updates in literally all media, Pedring claimed only 18 lives and the damage to infrastructure and agriculture pegged at P100.3 billion (ten times more than Ondoy's P10.45B cost). At home, power was restored at 7pm and unfortunately, I still don't have cable TV and internet connection.
As of today, another Tropical Storm codenamed Quiel (Nalgae) was spotted 1,400 kms east of northern Luzon and is expected to enter [to use PAGASA's parlance] Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) this afternoon. According to the Department of Science and Technology undersecretary Graciano Yumul Jr. "it is likely to intensify into a powerful cyclone". Oh well.. there are four more typhoons expected to enter PAR before yearend - these are codenamed Ramon, Sendong, Tisoy and Ursula.
To help Typhoon Pedring victims, contact: Philippine Red Cross: BDO Savings Account 453-0018647
Gawad Kalinga: needs food and water, call +631916 437-9941
UAA&P - food, clothes and medicine, drop off at the University located at Pearl Dive, pasig Citizen's Disaster Response Center - Metrobank Account 636-3-63600741-3
As early as 3pm last Friday, I've been battered by warnings of super typhoon codename "Megi" entering the Philippines area of responsibility. After experiencing Ondoy last year, I must admit that I joined the bandwagon and forwarded the warning to my office e-group, posted on FB (right) and texted my loved ones to prepare.
Well, it's Monday and the weekend was bright and sunny. Alas, I heeded the warning and cancelled diving in Anilao thinking that the waves will be choppy.
PAGASA short for the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has forever been criticized for errors in storm predictions. In fact, this prompted PNoy last Augsut to dismiss then-PAGASA administrator Dr. Prisco Nilo, for failure to warn residents of Typhoon Basyang (international codename "Conson") on July 14. The typhoon claimed 8 lives, left more than 3,000 stranded at ports nationwide and found Luzon with no electricity .
I know that its better to be safe than sorry but I must say that PAGASA over did it. At 3pm last Friday, I received this warning: "Megi is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility around midnight or early Saturday morning. International weather models indicate that it will continue to gain strength as it remains over water and may possibly reach "super typhoon" strength within 24 to 48 hours. PAGASA advised the general public and local disaster risk reduction managers to prepare and take precautionary measures."
Sad to say that Gai was right for commenting on my FB post that ""if PAGASA predicted it, chances of wreaking that kind of havoc... are next to nil." Even Kane tweeted yesterday "Told you tweeps. Pag OA ang PAG-ASA sa warnings at forecast, hindi darating ang ulan, bagyo, at baha."
For weather warnings and advisories, I will now be referring to more reliable weather sites like the Japan Metropolitan Agency. The storm's path is detailed day-by-day including it's intensity, center position, direction, wind speed and gustiness. As of 6pm tonight, the site says that the storm's intensity is indeed 'very strong' and is heading west southwest at 25 kph towards South China Sea and will be outside the Philippines by tomorrow.
As I type the wind is now howling scarily and the rain pounding. "Megi" dubbed locally as super typhoon Juan has weakened and slowed down and is now in Manila. It has unfortunately left Isabela, a province north of Manila, under a state of calamity. Yesterday, it was declared storm signal number "four" in the area, the ultimate public storm signal warning issued by PAGASA. I do hope that the provinces were well prepared for super typhoon Juan because of the early warnings. I, on the other hand, must be cautious in heeding warnings lest I want to cancel another weekend or make my 81-year old mom worry unnecessarily.
Fans of Dan Brown will be happy to note that many attribute Pepeng's change in direction to noetic science - collective prayers, positive vibes, healing energy that somehow veered the super typhoon (defined as more than 240 kph winds) away from battered-Manila. The aftermath of last week's typhoon Ondoy is worst than Afghanistan. Submerged areas like Pasig (which is a stone's throw from my office!!!), Cainta, Marikina, etc. depict mountains of debris and the smell is unbearable due to apparently a mix of trash and animal cadavers. The death toll of Ondoy has reached 280 and still counting plus notwithstanding Pepeng's fatalities which wreaked havoc up North (i.e. Baguio, Tugegarao, Benguet, etc). I heard in the news of a looming food crisis next year since most of the crops have been wiped out. The post-typhoon operation here has been dubbed as 'People Power 3" as thousands have come out to help and volunteer in relief centers and gone out of their way to distribute packages to afflicted areas and now, setting up medical missions and soup kitchens in evacuation centers. Netizens have been non-stop posting on FB, twitter, plurk, etc and sending texts to mobilize and coordinate. FB lately has been likened to a mini-DZMM (a local AM radio station) with all the reports - from goods needed, transport available (including boats and ten-wheeler trucks), volunteers needed and lately, weather reports and power interruptions! Gosh, sometimes I tune out on FB because of the alarmist-type posts. Well, we need more noetic action because there's another super typhoon in the horizon spotted up North in Basco called Quedan with 250kph winds. I don't think Manila or Luzon can take another beating.
