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Unhappy when it rains - Ma. Rosanna Mina

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by Ma. Rosanna Mina, abs-cbnNEWS.com | 09/30/2009 6:29 PM

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MANILA – I used to like rainy days (without flooding) until “Ondoy” came.

Rainy days were perfect for me to listen to songs by The Cure and Morrissey. But now, every time there is rain and whenever I hear thunder, I shudder.

I am constantly reminded of the cruelty and horror that tropical storm “Ondoy” brought to the country last Saturday.

I even wish for the sun to shine forever because I do not want to experience such nightmare again.

Flooding is not unusual in Sta. Mesa, Manila because the San Juan River is just nearby. Portions of P. Sanchez St. would be flooded quickly after strong rains.

Usually, the flood never enters our house. It just settles on the lawn. Whenever floodwaters enter the house (usually ankle-high), we know that the rains have been very heavy.

But floodwaters have not entered the house in more than five years ever since the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) built a dike.

The waters inside the house on Saturday, however, were far from ankle-high. They were “lagpas tao” or about 6 ft. in the first floor.

Abnormal rainy day

Everything happened so quickly that day. It was raining the whole morning but we thought it was just like any normal rainy day.

I had breakfast at around 10 a.m. Then I checked my e-mail at about 10:30 a.m. My mom and brother just left the house to go to the mall. A few minutes after, they returned.

I thought they came back right away because the flood was impassable. But my mom said they returned because the San Juan River looked so frightening, as if it was going to eat them. The river was about to overflow at that point.

There was a low flood already outside but we were not alarmed because that was normal whenever there was rain.

Several minutes after, probably before 11 a.m., the water rose, prompting my dad and brother to take out the cars on the lawn as the water was more than half of the tires already.

A few moments after that, the water already entered the house and we were busy bringing things to the second floor. Based on experience, we knew what to bring up already. We were not panicking as this was not the first time water has entered the house.

Six feet deep

We continued to save our belongings inside the house. My dad and brother did not take out the cars in the garage because the water in the garage never rises to a critical level, based on experience.

When the floodwater surpassed the ankles and knees, we started to be alarmed. It reached waist-level, and we were stunned.

The floodwater’s entry in the house was very quick.. We estimate that the floodwater rose from the ankles to the waist in about 20 to 30 minutes.

The surge of the water can be seen as it entered the door. It was unlike previous floods when the water would just “glide” and have a smooth entry.

It was the first time that the floodwater inside the house reached such a level of 6 ft. Because of this, some things we left at places we thought would not be reached by the flood were also damaged. The cars in the garage ended up being underwater. Even if we wanted to take them out, the water was much deeper on the street.

We all went upstairs when the water breached the waist-level and was still rising. As much as we wanted to save more things, we just wanted to save ourselves.

Expected the worst

Luckily, we never lost electricity. We monitored the news on radio dzMM and realized that there were thousands more who experienced worse, just like those who lost everything and waited on their roofs for hours. We learned about Cristine Reyes’ ordeal on dzMM.

We also heard from friends and relatives who experienced similar ordeals. My uncle’s family was also trapped in the second floor. They were panicking because the water was six steps away from the second floor.

I was texting and calling the rescue numbers given by dzMM. It was impossible to get through the hotlines and all my messages could not be sent. I was able to resend some messages an hour after.

The water, meantime, was nine steps away from our second floor. We were seriously planning on swimming to the Lourdes Hospital across the house if the water reaches waist-level in the second floor or levels with the terrace.

My dad and brother were even planning to tie wooden chairs that would serve as a floater or something that we could hold on to as we swim to the hospital.

It continued to rain in the evening. We already packed our valuables in plastic bags before dinner. We expected the worst.

Sigh of relief

We were closely monitoring the floodwater level. We sighed with relief upon knowing that the water did not rise anymore but were still worried because the water level did not go down.

Our helper was able to save the rice cooker that had leftover rice from breakfast. We were not able to eat lunch at all. We ate the leftover rice and a bottle of singkamas atchara for dinner. We did not have water but had several cans of pineapple juice. There were also some cookies upstairs which we ate.

Fortunately, the rain stopped at around 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. I was praying so hard for the rain to stop because if it would go on, swimming to the hospital would not be a remote possibility at all.

The water level also went down by five steps. Because of this, we were able to get some sleep, though I felt like I did not sleep at all because my heart was pounding all throughout.

While all this was happening, there were people, mostly men, outside the street. To be more accurate, they were standing on the wall along P. Sanchez St.. Some were above the waiting shed. I could even hear their movements on the waiting shed roof (the “yero” sound).

They stood there in the rain all afternoon and evening. Even if we wanted to help them, there was no way we could get out anymore. All I could do was pray—pray for my family, the men outside, my relatives, friends and all the other flood victims.

Mishmash

We woke up to a sunny morning that became cloudy most of the time with scattered rainshowers. We ate rice and opened a can of corned beef and pork and beans. Our helper had to wash the cans first before opening.

Clean-up ensued in the house on Sunday. It was such a daunting task because the first floor was a complete mess. There were plates and cups everywhere. My drinking glass was found near the main door.

I never wanted to take a peek at the first floor on Saturday because I refused to see the mishmash. I was able to catch a glimpse of the sofas and refrigerator floating. I did not want to take it all in. It was enough for me to hear the tingle of floating plates and cups clashing.

When I went down the morning after, I felt better because most of the plates, cups and glasses were in good condition. The glass on our living room table, however, was broken.

Before getting down to business, we spent most of our time watching ABS-CBN’s telethon and special updates. It was heartwarming to hear about the outpouring of support from various companies and individuals.

It was also good to know that Cristine Reyes and other people were saved. But we wondered why the rescue operations seemed to be slow as there were so many more people who had to be rescued.

We then had lunch brought by a family friend. He helped us clean the house after lunch. It was a hodgepodge and we did not know where to start. Some of my brother’s employees helped clean the house as well. Some relatives came and gave us what we needed.

It was a daunting task but we were able to finish before dinner time. Our family friend brought us dinner and we had pizza and barbecue.

Most of the things were not yet in place but at least the house was clean again. The clean-up continued on Monday.

Worst weekend ever

My other brother was not with us when the calamity struck because he was in Singapore for a leisure trip. He kept on calling and texting. He said it was all over the news. He added in an e-mail that he felt so bad and guilty that he was in Singapore while we were dealing with the flood.

I told him that he should not feel bad because it was not his fault. It was just nature’s wrath. He also told me that his friends in Marikina City also stayed on their roofs for more than 12 hours before being rescued.

Last weekend was the worst weekend of my life. I was supposed to go to Thailand last Monday to watch my favorite tennis player, Marat Safin, before he retires at the end of the year. But “Ondoy” spoiled my trip.

Our cars and appliances were damaged. So many people have been affected. At least 246 were killed.

There are so many things to be upset about. But the little things also made me smile. We thought we lost our dachshund, Bibo, but he survived the flood.

One of my hammerhead sharks was nowhere to be found. I went out and saw him fighting for his life on the mud. He is back in the aquarium that has some floodwater in it.

My car is functional but it has a weird sound. The refrigerator and stove are working. We are not sure about the microwave oven.

My friends and relatives are okay. Some of them have lost everything but at least they are alive.

In addition, people from all walks of life have stepped out to help their flood-stricken fellowmen. Even Demi Moore appealed for help for the "Ondoy" victims on Twitter.

I do not know if I will ever love rainy days again. Even the slightest rain scares me now for fear that it will not stop.

But I always say to myself that even the heaviest of rains brought by “Ondoy” came to an end. The rain cannot go on forever. It will end and the sun will come out for sure.