Parts of Metro Manila flooded after heavy to intense rains

A number of areas in Metro Manila experienced flooding following heavy to intense rainfall on Saturday afternoon.

In Quezon City, footage from YouScooper Gelo Imperial showed floodwaters up to the roof of a vehicle along Mother Ignacia Avenue in Barangay South Triangle.

Floodwaters on Mother Ignacia Avenue rose to around average human height in less than an hour, Darlene Cay said in her report on "24 Oras Weekend."

Due to the strong current, a plastic barrier was taken away while a utility van, a pickup truck, and a street sign were submerged.

Several motorists and commuters were stranded due to the flood.

"First time kong makakita ng ganito kataas na baha, na grabe po, na nasaan na 'yung flood control project? Nasaan 'yung pera? Kawawa kaming mga negosyante na nagbabayad ng tax. At the same time for how many years na ganito pa rin ang nangyayari, wala pa rin. Nasaan kayo?" said Mark Ong Teñoso.

(This is the first time I've seen such high floods, it is worse. Where is the flood control project? Where did our money go? We businessmen who pay taxes are in a dire situation. At the same time, for how many years has this has been happening, nothing has happened. Where are you?)

After the floodwaters receded, traffic moved smoothly while local government personnel removed trash and mud from the roads.

Gutter-deep flood was also seen across a mall along EDSA at 3:15 p.m., according to a video from YouScooper Sharmaine Baldrez.

Parts of Maginhawa Street were flooded as of 2:15 p.m., according to footage taken by YouScooper Tom Tagra.

EDSA-Seminary Road also experienced flooding, Luisito Santos of Super Radyo dzBB reported.

Other streets in the metro were also impassable to vehicles due to floods.

Rising floodwaters beneath the Skyway on Araneta Avenue left several cars stranded, according to Jamie Santos' "24 Oras Weekend" report.

A driver was seen on video escaping through the window of his car after half of it was submerged.

Several vehicles were also reported to have been damaged by the flood, while MMDA personnel prohibited vehicles from Skyway from going to C3 Caloocan.

Several residents near the area were seen wading through chest-high floodwaters, while the water was waist-to-chest high on P. Florentino Street.

In a thunderstorm advisory past 4 p.m. on Saturday, weather bureau PAGASA said heavy to intense rain showers with lightning and strong winds were experienced in Metro Manila, particularly in Marikina and Pasig. 

'Phenomenal'

In a statement late Saturday evening, the Quezon City government said floods were reported in 36 out of 142 barangays.

"Sa preliminary analysis ng UP Resilience Institute at UP NOAH Center batay sa rain gauges at weather stations sa Metro Manila ng PAGASA at IRISEUP ng QC government, mailalarawan bilang 'phenomenal' o pambihira ang pag-ulan kanina na ang pinakabulto ay naitala sa Quezon City at Nangka, Marikina," it said.

(In a preliminary analysis by the UP Resilience Institute and UP NOAH Center based on rain gauges and weather stations in Metro Manila of PAGASA and IRISEUP of the QC government, the rainfall earlier today can be described as "phenomenal" or extraordinary, with the heaviest recorded in Quezon City and Nangka, Marikina.)

It added that Quezon City received 121 millimeters of rain in a single hour, surpassing the 90 millimeters per hour recorded when tropical cyclone Ondoy struck Metro Manila in September 2009.

"Hindi kinaya ng drainage system ng lungsod ang napakaraming tubig-ulan sa napakaikling oras kaya nagresulta ito ng malalang pagbaha, maging sa ilang lugar na hindi karaniwang binabaha," the city government said.

(The city's drainage system was unable to handle the large amount of rainwater in a very short time, resulting in severe flooding, even in areas that are not prone to flooding.)

"Naging mabilis naman ang paghupa ng tubig dahil sa walang humpay na declogging operation ng Department of Engineering na isinasagawa buong taon. Agad na ring kumilos ang Department of Sanitation and Cleanup Works para maalis ang mga gamit ng mga residente na tinangay ng baha at humarang sa mga daluyan ng tubig."

(The water receded quickly due to the relentless declogging operations of the Department of Engineering that have been ongoing all year. The Department of Sanitation and Cleanup Works also immediately took action to remove residents' belongings that were swept away by the flood and blocked waterways.)

As an effective and long-term solution to flooding, the city government stated that it intends to fully implement its Drainage Master Plan rather than relying on flood control projects that have not been reviewed by the local government. — VDV/VBL, GMA Integrated News