My typhoon Ondoy ordeal 4

Part 4: Here’s the continuation of my account of my ordeal with Typhoon Ondoy.

Still Sunday, September 27, 2009

Around 3:15 AM: I was on top of Ligaya foot bridge. What I saw from there was like a scene in a movie… Red tail lights from vehicles submerged in flood waters. I heard a man preaching that it was God’s way of letting people know that they have sinned.. etc…

Imagine, if the flood waters during mid day was waist deep in front of Sta. Lucia and Robinson’s Metro East malls, how high could they have gone by late afternoon? Well some said they were chest deep, while some said “lagpas tao”.

So instead of going to Sta. Lucia, I opted to go to J. P. Rizal Street going to Marikina City.

With no electricity, I saw lighted candles on top of houses, balconies, even vehicles. The water was still high.. 2 inches above the knee for a 5’8” guy like me. On the above picture, I highlighted the areas were I had to pass through high flood waters. Below the floodwater was mud. I can feel my feet sinking into the mud in every step.

I walked straight to E. Dela Paz st. That’s where I saw several vehicles which was seemed to have been parked hurriedly, and then I realized that it was due to the current that swept them off their original place. I saw a car and an L300 van parked on a corner turned upside down.

I passed by Marikina City Hall and it wasn’t spared from nature’s wrath. I remembered my friend who works at the City Hall texted me earlier saying that they are trapped at the second floor. Flood waters have occupied half of the first floor. A lot of important documents were affected and even the computers and servers that the City Hall was using are now under water. Just look at the picture below. See the water mark on the walls?

Pic from whiteboard

I was still half way home.

Around 4:00 AM: I arrived in Marikina Bayan. As I was approaching Sumulong highway (the part near Marikina Bridge), all I can see was floodwater, busted railings, and damaged lamp posts. Then when I looked towards the Marikina Bridge, I saw a lot of vehicles parked and people waiting… waiting for the high waters to subside. Think of it as scene during a Fiesta and there’s a parade with a known celebrity on it. That’s how it was. However, you won’t hear any cheering or see raised arms. All you will see are sad faces and some who’s clothes were filled with mud.

The intersection of Shoe Avenue and Sumulong highway and as far as Marquinton and Bluwave Mall was like a scene from a horror movie. It was quiet and you’ll see blinking traffic lights. Surprisingly, this part of town still has electricity even if half of it was in chest deep flood waters (as claimed by the “watchers”). Then I went towards the Marikina Bridge to see how high the Marikina River was.

The Marikina River at this time was still high and occupied much of the banks and nearby low lands. If the river was this high now… how high could it have been during mid day and afternoon?