MANILA – Marikina City Mayor Marcelino Teodoro on Thursday appealed for assistance to support the immediate needs of flood victims of Typhoon Ulysses.

Affected families would be needing food, medicine and clothing, among others, he told ANC’s “Dateline,” adding many children and infants are staying in evacuation centers.

Donors can drop off their donations in the “Bayanihan Center” located in the Marikina Sports Complex.

Teodoro said the typhoon-induced floods caught them by surprise as they were only expecting the water level in Marikina River to reach 18 meters.

It reached up to 22 meters at 11 a.m., higher than the peak of 21.5 meters set during Tropical Storm Ondoy's onslaught in 2009.

FROM THE ARCHIVES

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv

“We’re expecting high water or floodwater coming from the river. Based on our reading, the highest level the river will reach is 18 meters,” he said.

“But this morning, when the rain is starting to stop, we're surprised that the water had suddenly risen to the level of 22 meters.”

Watch more in iWantv or TFC.tv

Teodoro suspected rains came upstream from other regions or from the water dams.

As of now, Teodoro said they were focused on rescuing residents trapped in their houses.

“We're taking advantage of the opportunity that the rain has stopped to undertake aggressively the rescue operations for those residents stranded in the roof of their houses. They've been staying there since last night. Imagine the hardship they’re going through,” he said.

The typhoon also flooded all offices in the first floor of the Marikina City Hall, he added.

• 'Ulysses' brings catastrophic floods to Luzon, draws 'Ondoy' comparisons