Impending CATASTROPHE: Relentless Heavy Rain and Flooding in Cagayan de Oro

Cagayan de Oro and nearby regions are feeling the effects of climate change. We are experiencing heavy rains and gusty winds this past few days, almost RELENTLESSLY ( unusual here, rain is usually calm) and 70,000+ persons have been displaced in the coastal regions due to flooding ( Our local Rotary Club is suddenly thrust to produce relief goods).

I even have youtube photos of the effects on the rivers and the submerged residentials. Flooding is repeatedly happening everywhere on and off this past 2 weeks.

The Cagayan de Oro Floods on the internet:

This is a slient video of the aerial view of Cagayan de Oro affected with the flood (this was January 4 , the gusty rain has been coming on and off ever since, unusual here):

http://video. aol.com/video- detail/cagayan- de-oro-flood/ 2018480906

And this is a CNN unfiltered youtube video of a group travelling the Cagayan de Oro river after the flood

http://www.ireport. com/docs/ DOC-174121

Relief goods were distributed by the Jaycee clubs and Rotary clubs repeatedly ever since.

This is the first time I had to use the accuweather report to know the hourly reports of rain, to avoid traversing flooded streets I guess. A new effect called "Buhawi" or twister keeps appearing around the nearby regions.

Its incredible and terrible. Like a ticking time bomb, its been very cloudy here.

The average rainfall here according to the Weather Bureau PAG-ASA, is 80.9mm. Rainfall has now reached around the 125 to 135 mm level, nearly double its average.

Basically, according to my buddy, Nitz Pascual, manager of the National Statistical Coordinating Board, Disaster Preparedness is reactive, not yet preventative. There is no study on the long term effects of Global Warming to the Forest cover we have left. This is done with special ARC GIS equipment, which they are just learning to use. A few months ago, I met my former high scholl physics teacher, Mr. Iggy Ignacio under The Xavier University Science Foundation. He was tasked to do a study of possible flood areas in Mindanao using a GIS software.

Due to the flooding, these disastrous effects have occurred: Many thoroughfares have been flooded up to at least the knee deep level, making access to Malls and other major institutions only possible to SUVs and other offroad vehicles. Classes have been closed these past 5 days. A few Residentials have experienced flooding up to the Ceilings. The economy is mostly grinding to a near crawl as most major institutions have shut down since their workers are too busy either keeping their household belongings from being affected from the flood.

I guess the complete picture will have to wait. Right now, the storm is predicted to subside on Saturday.