June 21, 2008 Typhoon Frank (Fengshen) Hit Iloilo ~ Bad

I wasn’t able to follow the local news these past few days because iv’e been waking up later than my usual 4pm. I heared there was a storm coming a few days ago but it wouldn’t hit Iloilo, Signal #1 they say. Eh ~ not bad. We’re so used to storms and flood here, so no biggie right? RIIIIGHT!

Friday June 20, 2008 ~ 11pm. Working. Electricity was out. I waited for it to come back while listening to the wind and rain outside.

Saturday, June 21, 2008

~ 5am. Electricity not back yet. Imma go and get some snoozes.

~ 8am. I woke up having just a little over an hour of sleep. The wind outside sounds dangerously excited. I thought, hmmm… storm?

~ 9am. Electricity was back then Cable was out, after a few minutes electricity was out again.

~ 10am. Waiting for the wind and rain to calm down a bit. I had this thing with umbrellas see. I don’t use them. I don’t like it when my umbrella gets wet. I know, he he. You don’t have to say what you’re thinking. If it wasn’t for the cable and power cut off, I wouldn’t have gone out. I was planning on seeing a movie that day; The Incredible Hulk. I was surprised that Robinsons was flooded, they announced they were closing the mall due to bad weather.

I brought a camera with me, (don’t know why but I did). I waded in the floodwater on the way into the mall. Here’s what I got. Had to hurry, the wind is starting to sound scary again.

I had my cellphone charged in one of the mall stalls cause I had the feeling the power wont be back anytime soon. I ate at Hong Kong Kitchen, craving rice… other restaurants were closing.

Good thing I had the rationale to buy what I call my typhoon necessities : Flashlight?, Candles, Butane (Igniter fluid ), ramen noodles, bread loaf, biscuits, juice, beer. He he, nothing beats waiting out the storm drinking beer.

Little I had known most parts of Iloilo, rather most parts of the whole Panay Island was already under floodwater.

Sunday ~ 9am. Electricity was back in our area, on/off but back. Got text messages from relatives in Manila, “you OK?” “we thought you drowned!”. I said eh ~ am ok. No news from my family yet.

Sunday, lunch. I was fighting back tears cause I haven’t heared from my family in Antique. Cellphones from that area were out of coverage. I was hoping the cellphone tower was just destroyed rather than, gulp…

Monday, a text from nanay! They’re OK! A lot of our stuff got destroyed, including baby pictures but they’re OK. People from China heared me exhale. I was fine now. Now I just have to wait a few weeks till the roads to Antique are clear, safe, and passable. I HAVE to see my Family.

The next few days, I had to rely on news from people who were either passing by our area getting to places were they could stay. No cable, my only connection to the outside world (side effects of working from home). The aftereffects was devastating. Have you seen the videos on you tube? Was I happy to have moved out from home (layas guro! he he). Alta Tierra was totally submerged!

Typhoon Frank turned out to be the worst storm to have ever hit Iloilo! Worst storm I have ever experienced my whole life!

It’s New Orleans all over again. People who have never experienced flood before, now have. Rich and poor were all alike. Poor lost everything, rich lost most. How’d you feel watching your car get carried or swallowed by muddy water? It was so sudden. Nobody ever expected that it would be this bad. People on rooftops, all of their properties destroyed. Some areas were hit with flood water so sudden they weren’t able to get to safety in time. I have heared horrid stories about what people saw and experienced. Good thing the flash flood hit us during the daytime, I just don’t know what could have happened if Frank wreaked havoc during the night. The HORROR.

Some woman was found the day after in her bathroom. Got trapped and drowned. I thought, what a way to go.. drowned in your own piss and excrement. That may sound a tad insensitive but it’s just me thinking out load. Tabi-tabi lang ha. A father of three had to let go of his 5mo. old baby to save his 2 older children. What the man must have felt at that moment ~ to choose between your children. Heartbreaking. Devastating!

We’re so used to storms and flooding we just shrugged off the storm warning. What happened was so unexpected.

Another lesson learned.

Mother nature is trying to tell us something!

THIS ISLAND IS SINKING !

Seriously.

~ by Chad on Wednesday, June 25, 2008.