For the citizens of Metro Manila, September 26, 2009, and the days that immediately followed, will forever be a haunting reminder of the awesome power of nature. It was on this weekend that tropical storm “Ketsana” (local codename “Ondoy”) caused the most severe flooding ever experienced in the capital region of the Philippines in a long time.

Moderate to heavy rainfall actually started as early as Friday night in most parts of this Asian city, including the adjacent provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite and Laguna, so that by Saturday, some low-lying areas were already submerged in waist-deep water. By mid-morning of the 26th, Ketsana’s fury was already in full force. The heavy rains continued, causing floodwaters in about 80% of Metro Manila to rise at a very alarming rate. And this caught most residents virtually unprepared.

The Philippines lies along a “typhoon belt” and experiences an average of 7 typhoons a year, mostly during the months of July up until October. According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Typhoon Ketsana’s registered rainfall hit more than 450 millimeters within a 24-hour period. The amount of precipitation on that single day nearly surpassed the average that Metro Manila receives in a single month.

Towns and municipalities in the eastern part of the region bore the brunt of the typhoon because they are located near and around Laguna de Bay, the largest lake in the country. Non-stop rains had caused it to overflow, along with rivers, canals, streams and other small waterways, including dams. Simply put, the very heavy downpour was just too much to handle.

By late afternoon of the 26th, most of eastern Metro Manila was already under water. Everything happened so fast. The speed at which the flood rose did not give people living in these areas enough time to evacuate to higher ground. Most of them were trying to save their belongings; moving and transferring furniture, appliances, and whatever else they could haul from the main floor up to the upper floors of some homes. Realizing that floodwaters were still rising, many residents had no other recourse but to scramble up to their roofs to escape. The brown, murky water that seemed to suddenly appear from out of nowhere threatened to claim everything that was in its path. In some areas, Ketsana’s raging floodwaters swept away people, animals, vehicles, and even entire homes.

It continued to rain until late Saturday evening and the people who took refuge atop their houses had to endure the cold and dark. Most of them were drenched and had neither food nor drinking water for sustenance. Floodwaters engulfed the entire first floor of a lot of homes; and single-storey homes were completely submerged.

The water was not only dark and turbid; it reeked of garbage and oil. Many residential areas in Metro Manila and its neighboring provinces remained under water for several days, making rescue efforts and relief operations extremely difficult.

In the aftermath, more than 300 lives were lost; around 3 million people have been severely affected – many of them displaced; and millions of dollars in property damage.

Philippine government officials explained that the city’s network of waterways do not have the capacity to carry the volume of rainfall that Ketsana brought along with it. What made matters worse is the perpetual problem of clogging of these channels because of garbage. If only these drainage systems were well-maintained, overflowing might have been much less and floodwaters might have receded faster, or would not have reached such devastating levels at all.

A few days after Storm Ketsana/Ondoy hit, another typhoon, Parma (local codename: Pepeng) battered provinces in northern Philippines. As of this writing, still another typhoon has made its presence felt in the Philippine area of responsibility. The government and the entire populace, in general, are bracing themselves for what is yet to come. It seems that they are a bit more prepared this time.

Storms, hurricanes, and other weather disturbances are natural occurrences that we have no control over, and disaster preparedness ensures our best chance for survival. Survival has a purpose. It gives people the chance to rebuild what was destroyed, replace or somehow regain what was lost, and then move on. Maybe it would be good during this phase to also reevaluate how we have lived thus far, specifically in relation to our environment. Probably we are guilty of certain acts of indifference and irresponsibility, like tossing a piece of trash onto the gutter which eventually ends up in the sewage. Surely such actions reflect an uncaring attitude toward the earth. It is probably high time that everyone take a conscious and active part in giving the respect that our planet deserves.