By Jinky J. Jorgio
Manila— Twenty-one people were killed, hundreds were injured and thousands were displaced from their homes after Typhoon Gaemi, locally named Carina, battered the Philippines Wednesday, causing massive flooding and landslides.
Several parts of the country’s capital remained underwater Thursday. The Metro Manila Development Authority has declared a state of calamity in the metropolitan city.
According to the National Disaster and Risk Reduction and Management Council, Typhoon Carina was accompanied by a southwest monsoon and a tropical depression that also impacted the country.
More than one million Filipinos have been affected by the calamity, the council said.
Some of the casualties were reported from Zamboanga, Northern Mindanao, Davao, Bangsamoro Autonomous Regions in Muslim Mindanao and Metro Manila. Authorities were still validating reports of more fatalities in Calabarzon region.
Causes of death included drowning, landslides, electrocution, fallen trees and debris. At least four of the victims were killed in landslides in Zamboanga City.
Typhoon Gaemi brought on a lot of rains that inundated major cities in Metro Manila and nearby provinces in the northern part of the Philippines.
Around 158 local and international flights were canceled, while government and private companies shut down for two days but railways remained open to help the stranded commuters.
According to initial assessments, damage to agriculture was estimated at 9.7 million pesos.
Northern Mindanao experienced the largest loss, affecting more than 1.3 million hectares of crop area, 351,590 hectares of which cannot be recovered.
Residents living near the Marikina River were evacuated when the water level reached almost 21 meters. In 2009, Typhoon Ketsana raised the water level to 23 meters.
Lyn Paragas-Janeo, a resident of Cainta, Rizal, said her family was lucky that their home sits on an elevated ground. The streets surrounding their area were submerged in neck-deep water.
Those living in the low-lying areas have been evacuated, leaving only cars and other debris swept by the massive floods.
“This may (not be as bad) compared to 2009 when Typhoon Ketsana hit the country. Although the flood entered our house, we were still lucky compared to the neighboring streets. Flood waters usually subside after hours when the rain stops. It did not rain the whole afternoon and evening yesterday, but the streets are still flooded. Maybe because of the garbage or clogged drainage,” Janeo said.
Typhoon Gaemi, which headed to Taiwan, entered the Philippines on Sunday gusting up to 125kph but intensified to 220kph, thus developing into a supertyphoon before leaving the country.
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