What happened in Manila and the surrounding provinces is not exactly new news. I’m pretty late out the gate with this one. I was traveling in the Eastern Visayas (specifically Leyte and Biliran) when these two typhoons passed through. I did follow the news and the relief efforts but I had no Internet access for several days.
The normal storm track for most of these storms is to head straight into Samar and then turn north just before it gets there. Dumping lots of rain on Samar and Leyte but not usually doing much damage. (Occasionally though one keeps going straight through.)
Once they turn north they either move along the east coast of Leyte or they swerve and go up the middle. Flooding in Manila is not uncommon during this time of the year but it is not normally so devastating.
A lot of Manila and the surrounding areas are built on the flood plain of the Pasig River. Several smaller rivers also flow through to the north and south. Over the years development in low lying areas and the clogging of the river and drainage channels with garbage have made these areas a disaster waiting to happen. The Manila area and the areas above it received a very heavy rainfall in a very short time and the water had nowhere to go but into the low areas surrounding the rivers.
The government has launched relief efforts and foreign aid is coming in to assist. To date the death toll stands at around 600 and many people are still stranded in flooded areas. It may be quite some time before some of the flooded areas are above water again. I hope the health agencies involved in this operation are taking precautions to prevent widespread illness in the people exposed to all that contaminated water and mud.
Let us hope that the low lying areas will not be developed again to prevent such a loss of life and property in the future. I offer my sincere condolences to everyone affected by this tragedy. 