Storm 'Ondoy' makes landfall, causes widespread flooding

(Updated 4:51 p.m.) Thousands of people fled their homes Saturday as overnight rains brought by tropical storm "Ondoy" caused flooding in wide areas of metropolitan Manila and other provinces of the northern Philippines. Swollen creeks forced many residents in some communities on to the roofs of their homes and they were calling for help to evacuate, according to local radio reports. Television news footage showed one flooded road in suburban Quezon City appearing like a raging river. The storm intensified the seasonal monsoon, drenching much of the main island of Luzon where Manila is located, weathermen said. Most-affected by floods were low-lying areas of the national capital and parts of nearby Rizal province, where at least four children were reported to have been swept away by a swollen creek. The National Disaster Coordinating Center (NDCC) office for the Southern Tagalog Region said the still unidentified victims were from barangay San Jose in Antipolo City. A 49-year-old man named Eyo Cadang died of cardiac arrest at about 11 a.m. as floods began to inundate his home in Paete town of Laguna province. "Paglakas ng hangin at ulan at pagtaas ng tubig sa kanilang lugar, 'yun siguro ang nag-trigger ng kanyang cardiac arrest (Perhaps his cardiac arrest was triggered when the winds and the rains intensified and flood waters rose)," engineer Jensorel Hazareno of the Laguna Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council told GMANews.TV by phone. As of 2 p.m. at least 1,813 people in Metro Manila and Southern Luzon were evacuated from their homes due to floods, according to the NDCC in its 2 p.m. report. [See: NDCC: 1,813 evacuated from Metro Manila, Rizal] Of the 363 families or 1,813 people evacuated, 260 families or 1,300 were from San Mateo town. At least 25 villages in Marilao, Meycauayan, San Miguel and Bocaue in Bulacan were also flooded, with floodwaters reaching up to waist-high. In Metro Manila, at least 33 villages in Marikina, Malabon, Muntinlupa, Quezon, Makati, Pasay, Pasig, Valenzuela and San Juan Cities were also flooded. Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., national chairman of the NDCC, said he himself was forced to use the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) on his way to office in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, from Pasay City because there was no passable road. "This kind of flash floods in Metro Manila took us all by surprise," he said, adding that flooding was also reported in Bulacan and Pampanga provinces north of Manila. In an interview with GMA News, he urged motorists to stay home to avoid getting caught in the floods. He also called on the MRT and Light Rail Transit (LRT) authorities not to stop their operations for the benefit of stranded commuters. Ondoy (international code name Ketsana), packing maximum winds of 85 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 100 kph, slammed into the eastern side of Luzon Island from the Pacific Ocean before noon Saturday. It was crossing Central Luzon and was expected to be 230 km west-northwest of Iba, Zambales by Sunday morning as it continues to move into the South China Sea. At least 12 areas in Luzon were placed under Storm Signal No. 2 as Ondoy made landfall near the boundary of Aurora and Quezon provinces. A dozen flights in and out of central and northern Philippines were canceled because of poor visibility, airport officials said. Power distributor Meralco cut off electric services to some flooded areas in metropolitan Manila to prevent accidents, spokesman Joel Zaldarriaga said. Hundreds of vehicles stalled in flooded streets around the capital and nearly 2,000 passengers and more than 150 vehicles were stranded in ports in several provinces south of Manila after the coast guard suspended ferry operations. Weather forecasters advised those living along the coast under Signal No. 2 to be on alert against big waves generated by the storm. Although Metro Manila was only under Storm Signal No. 1, many places were reported to be heavily flooded, leaving thousands of motorists and commuters stranded. A resident of Kamias Street in Quezon City called GMANews.TV to say that floods have reached chest level in the area and many residents were stranded. "We are flooded here! We have no second floor. Nalulunod na kami dito (We're drowning already)," Leah Centeno said. Many vehicles were stranded in front of Camp Aguinaldo, the military headquarters in Quezon City, as floodwaters had risen above chest level and visibility was almost zero. Henry Cabural, one of 30 passengers of a stranded provincial bus, told GMANews.TV in a phone interview that they opted to stay inside as flood waters already entered the driver's area and was rising. "Kanina pa kami dito. Wala nang makadaan. Yung maliliit na kotse bubong na lang ang nakikita (We've been here for a long time. No one can pass through anymore. Only the top of small cars are visible)," Cabural said. A report of the government's National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) said that at least 493 people in Metro Manila were evacuated while 260 families in Rizal were affected by flooding. It also noted power interruption in parts of Labo town in Camarines Norte due to fallen trees. Some 1,806 passengers, 120 trucks, 27 small cars, two passenger buses, 15 vessels and six bancas were stranded in Batangas, Calapan, Puerto Real, Tamban, Virac, Tabaco and Pasacao ports, according to the inter-agency task force. The NDCC said many roads in Malabon, Quezon, Marikina, Valenzuela, Pasay, and Muntinlupa Cities in Metro Manila were not passable due to floods. Roads in Malabon rendered impassable included C-4 Letre, Tenejeros, M.H. del Pilar, Panghulo Road, Catmon and Dampalit. Those in Quezon City included E. Rodriguez corner Araneta Avenue. Also impassable were M.H. del Pilar in front of Pio Elementary School in Palasan, Valenzuela City; and Barangays 180, 185 and 187 in Pasay City. Floods in Pasay City were knee-deep, the NDCC report said. In Pasig City, 20 families or 100 people in Santolan village were evacuated to Santolan Elementary School. In Marikina City, 75 families or 373 people were evacuated to Malanday Elementary School. Malanday village was not passable to all types of vehicles due to flooding, one meter deep. In Muntinlupa City, four families or 20 people were evacuated to the village's covered court. In Rizal province, 260 families in Banaba and Sta. Ana village in San Mateo town were affected due to the flooding. Meanwhile, a landslide occurred in Sangay town in Camarines Sur at 5 p.m. Friday, but no damage or casualty was reported. - GMANews.TV