Sendong devastates Northern Mindanao

 Thursday, December 15, I had heard that a typhoon is coming. Northern and Northeastern Mindanao were already placed under Storm Signal # 1.

The following morning, both parts of Mindanao were already under Storm Signal # 2. Automatically there will be no classes for both Elementary and High School. Since it was cloudy during that day, I heard no classes were suspended. It was not a typical Storm Signal # 2 atmosphere. The weather was like a regular cloudy day in Northern Mindanao. Reason that people just continued to do their daily routines. Reason, perhaps, that rescue and disaster prevention teams were not yet mobilized. People were holding Christmas parties around the city.  It was DTI-10 Christmas Party.

In the afternoon, at around 4PM, rain started to pour. It was a kind of rain that you won’t even think it can flood Corrales Avenue. And it never flooded the street. No strong winds were observed though there were showers of rain from time to time. It was no longer raining when I reached home at around 7PM.

Strong wind started to blow before midnight and the light went out. I am used to typhoon wind. Typhoon wind in Surigao is stronger than the wind brought by Sendong. I was observing the wind direction since I was taught by my father that changes in wind direction is a sign of typhoon going away. I was afraid that if the rain won’t stop our subdivision will get flooded. Fortunately, there was no rainwater flooding the street.

Come morning, typhoon gone. I am an early riser because our cute little girl usually wakes up at 4AM. I checked the streets and there were no signs of flood. I surveyed the creek near the subdivision, water level was not alarming.

Then I wondered why our faucet is no longer working that early. Thought it was just another tantrum of COWD’s operators. I never realized that Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City were badly hit by Sendong.

It was the call of my neighbor to someone that prompted me to listen to the radio. There was no electricity and water yet. It was only then that we knew that a disaster had struck CDO and Iligan City. But we cannot assess the magnitude of the damage of the flood based on radio reports. We knew that most of the times radio reporters exaggerate their reporting.

From time to time we listened to the radio just to get an update if the road from the west going to CDO City is already passable. Since we have stored water, wifey had our baby’s dirty cloths laundered. In the afternoon, they decided to go to Limketkai Center to buy shoes for Nico. It was only then they realized how large the extent of the damaged typhoon Sendong had brought to the city. They were stuck in the middle of traffic. Had difficulty of getting meals from some Jollibee outlets. Had a hard time of getting a cab in going home.

Fortunately, they were able to get a cab which is owned by a resident in the subdivision. The driver told them what he went through during the flood. He was with his family at Macahan. Flood water rose quickly from knee deep to the second floor of the house, he relayed.

Electricity went back at 7:00PM but there was no water. News reports mentioned that a transmission line of the bulk water supplier of COWD got wash away by the huge flood. It would take them a week to a month time to replace the transmission line. The water supply on the west side of the city is totally crippled. And I live on this side of the city.

Sunday came. We only have a pitcher of drinkable water. But water for washing and comfort room use was already running out. I had checked the old water line I used to get water; it was not working. There is no option but to get water from the water spring near Phase 3 of the subdivision.

Fortunately, a new water spring was found and it gives more water than the old one. There is a long queue but water containers get filled faster. The only problem we have at the subdivision is supply of drinkable water. Stores are running out of stock.

We are still thankful that we didn’t get flooded. It would have been a different story and a more difficult situation especially that we have a 4-month old baby. Thank you. Lord, for sparing my family from the tragedy.

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photos are from reuters and robstroy.com