Cavite rainfall hits record high, as many suffer Ondoy-like flooding

(Updated 9:26 p.m.) For many in Cavite, now under a state of calamity, the past two days have been their Ondoy.

A large swath of the province has been submerged as torrential rains have fallen since Sunday night.

The rainfall has been at record levels in some areas, particularly in Sangley Point, a part of Cavite City at the peninsular northernmost point of the province.

Surge for relief goods

In a "24 Oras" report Tuesday evening, residents of Rosario, Cavite were seen shoving against each other to get relief goods. An elderly lady was even found to have fainted from the press of the crowd.

"Na-ipit pa ako. Kasakit-sakit ng mga kamay ko. Talagang ginawa ko na po talaga ito para sa mga anak ko po. Napakahirap po talaga," a mother was interviewed in the report.

"Hindi ko na pinagpilit sarili ko 'dun eh. Mapipiga ka lang. Magulo," said another man, who was resigned not to receive his share amid the chaos.

In Noveleta, meanwhile, soaked residents lined up before a lone convenience store to buy grocery and medicine. "Bibili [ako] ng pangangailangan sa bahay. Marami [kasing] sarado [na] inabot na ng baha," another resident there said in a separate "24 Oras" report.

Stranded vehicles with broken parts were scattered along the road of Noveleta, according to the reports. Two cement tombs or "nitso" were even found blocking the highway there.

Sangley Point

PAGASA maintains a weather station on Sangley Point, long a naval base on a narrow hook-shaped peninsula that juts out into Manila Bay. Near it are the towns of Bacoor, Imus and Kawit, all badly flooded after the heavy, continuous downpour.

"Ibig sabihin, mas higit sa isang buwan ang naibagsak na ulan sa loob lamang ng isang araw," explained GMA News' resident meteorologist, Nathaniel "Mang Tani" Cruz. 

 

The rain intensity at Sangley Point surprised even DOST Secretary Ramon Montejo. 

 

"We were also surprised at the rain intensity in some areas, especially in Sangley, Cavite," he said.

But Cavite Gov. Jonvic Remulla said residents have started to go back to their respective houses to clean up the mud, which in some places has reached chest-level, according to an interview aired at "Balitanghali."



"Hindi na kami masyadong nahirapan. Halos lahat ay umuwi sa kani-kanilang bahay. Majority ng province ay clean-up mode na... May mga ibang lugar rito, isang dibdib ang putik," Remulla said.

He added that the floods in the province reached up to the waist due to isolated rains since Monday, but the water started to subside Tuesday noon.

"For the most part, bumaba na ang baha rito... Pagdating ng 11 a.m., tumigil na ang ulan," Remulla said.

Increased rainfall in Ilocos Region

PAGASA figures obtained by GMA News Online note, too, that the rainfall in the Ilocos Region pulled in by TS Maring surpassed 2012 Habagat levels.

 

Overall not like habagat 2012

 

State weather forecasters however have asserted that, as a whole, the monsoon rains this year have not been as intense as the 2012 Habagat rains.

 

In fact, at some other stations, "mas mababa ang rainfall na na-record compared with last year's event," Sawi said, a small consolation to the thousands who have fled their homes or been stranded in the streets.

 

Department of Science and Technology assistant secretary Mon Liboro agreed, saying that the rainfall is "less than the habagat" last year.

 

"Understand that these are sporadic rainfall events," Liboro explained, referring to the rainfall at Sangley Point.

 

Montejo cited the Port Area in Manila, which experienced rainfall levels similar to—but not surpassing—the 2012 Habagat rains.

 

"In Port Area, Manila, [the rainfall level is] comparable with the [2012] Habagat record," Montejo said.

 

Mang Tani also pointed out that on 8 a.m. on August 19, 2013, PAGASA's rainfall station in the Science Garden, Quezon City, recorded 105.5 mm of rainfall versus 391.4 mm on August 7 the year before, at the height of the 2012 Habagat rains. Both measurements fall short of the 504.2 mm expected average amount of rainfall for the month.

Other PAGASA rainfall stations that recorded less rainfall today than last year included Tanay, Rizal; Ambulong, Batangas; Clark, Pampanga; Iba and Subic, Zambales; Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija; Coron and Puerto Prinsesa, Palawan; Calapan, Oriental Mindoro; and San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. 

Rainfall warnings

 

At 10:10 a.m. Tuesday, PAGASA hoisted a "Red Rainfall Warning" over Metro Manila due heavy to torrential rains (7.5 mm/hr to as much as 30 mm/hr or more) pulled in by Tropical Storm Maring over Metro Manila, Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Zambales and Bataan. 

 

This was later downgraded to an "Orange Rainfal Warning," signifying an improved outlook, but citizens were still warned about floods.