NOTE: Stream of consciousness writing here folks, my apologies.
If you’ve been following the international news, it’s only been recently that coverage of Typhoon Ondoy (Internationally known as Ketsana) has been made known.
What news outlets probably won’t tell you is that we got a month’s worth of rainfall in under a day, and the Philippine drainage system couldn’t handle it, making the flooding not only dangerous in the immediate sense, but a carrier for all sorts of vile diseases and other stuff. 🙁
The above picture comes from a search I did, and that shot is taken directly in front of my school. While not indicated, what you don’t actually see from this top-down view is that the pedestrian overpass’ stairs are halfway submerged in that mucky water.
My friends are okay, as they were in a hotel when this all happened, but they’re worried for their families. Thank goodness I’m even able to get in touch with them through Plurk and facebook. Relief efforts are being coordinated partly through TV and radio, but also through the hundreds of people who have gone on facebook to spread the word about making donations.
For those handful of you who read the blog, maybe you can also lend some assistance. Donate to your national Red Cross for Philippine Flood Victim relief. We need everything from food and water, to blankets, medicines, and even rubber dinghy boats. A little bit can go a long way.
Last bit of info… if my intel is correct, there’s a second tropical storm heading towards the Philippines. Definitely not a good thing, as we’ve had more rain than our dams can handle. If they add wind into this second storm, we’re in for some serious hurting.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfWpVe7w3DA]