TYPHOON STORIES PART 1: Tropical Storm Ondoy — A Traumatic Memory in 2009

Filipinos who felt the wrath of tropical storm Ondoy (international name: Ketsana) were all busy cheating death, barely hanging on.

September 26, 2009 was just like any other rainy day for Corazon Tosio. She knew there was a storm brewing and its name was Ondoy. As simple as that it seemed. However, it turned out to be a very strong one! 

Tosio said in an interview on the sidelines of a seminar organized by the Center for Women’s Resources, “We really did not expect it to be that strong because floods have come and gone in our barangay. But Ondoy was really strong. It brought severe flooding.” 

That night, Tosio’s family survived without food. They couldn’t even sleep all night. They feared the waters that hadn’t gone down yet and the rain was erratic. Not to mention that she was worrying about her daughter and eldest son who weren’t with her. 

Hadn’t her neighbor offered her home’s upper floor as a temporary evacuation center, Tosio’s family’s suffering would have been much worse. Nevertheless, their family was just one of the thousands of families who experienced trauma brought by Ondoy. 

The Haunting Trauma of Tropical Storm Ondoy

Ondoy made an unwelcome appearance across Metro Manila and parts of Luzon.

On September 26, 2009, the people of Metro Manila were anticipating just a Signal No. 1 tropical storm. Little did they know that after a few hours they would find themselves on the roofs of their houses.

With the floodwaters that were rising very fast, people had little choice but to go somewhere higher to prevent themselves from being swept away. They held or stepped onto anything they could just to escape the floods. 

Since 10 AM, people had been on top of their roofs.

Darkness started in the afternoon as if it were night already. 

When I looked, it really did feel like time was ticking too slow because by afternoon it was extremely dark already, as if it were night. Thunder would keep booming and the rain never stopped.

– Israel Reprima

I will never forget the darkness. The night was long. It was like the day would not end.

– Celina Cayosa

Most people had no food to eat at all. Some had money in their pockets but there was no way to buy as floods surrounded them. 

The flooding that deprived people of food was also the one that destroyed 16,094 houses and partly damaged 22,849 houses. 

It was the longest night of the people in Metro Manila and the last night of 360 who died. 

For those 450,000 people who barely survived by being able to find shelter in churches, schools, and other evacuation shelters, tropical storm Ondoy remains a trauma that haunts them.

I will never forget it because the terror is still within me.

– Leonora Hermosa

Tropical storms are not new to Filipinos, but they are still unwelcome, especially the likes of tropical storm Ondoy. It was not a storm they were ready for and it was not a storm they could confront. That’s why the seriousness of its impact was extraordinary — TRAUMA. But what if there’s a treatment for flooding that is effective enough to not worsen the trauma?

A Treatment That Could Make a Difference

We cannot change the fact that a traumatic experience happened. We cannot travel back in time. However, with proper treatment, we could keep up with any upcoming tropical storms; hence avoiding further traumas in the future. 

Tropical storms are not new to Filipinos, but they are still unwelcome, especially the likes of tropical storm Ondoy. But what if there’s a treatment for flooding that is effective enough to not worsen the trauma?

That treatment is none other than the German-engineered flood control technology. Here are its characteristics that make it reliable enough to calm the victims of Ondoy in times of tropical storms and torrential rainfall. 

1. RS Barriers are made of marine-grade aluminum, hot-dipped galvanized steel, or stainless steel and designed to resist any kind of debris and withstand high water pressure; 
2. The seals, which are Polyethylene (PE) Membrane, Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM), or Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), that secure the barriers are all durable. No amount of water nor debris can seep into the barrier.
3. Their height can be extended to suit the protection needed and can also be mounted on existing walls.
4. They have a lifespan of 100 years, which is much more than the time necessary to prevent trauma of Ondoy from getting worse.

Below are your choices that can keep you in perfect peace during flooding.

To have a sneak peek of this technology, watch this video of the Top 14 RS Barriers by clicking the “WATCH THE VIDEO” button below. 

If you want to know more details about RS technology and services, have a conversation with a Flood Expert by clicking the “BOOK A MEETING FOR FREE” button.