By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Manila was drenched by rainfall equivalent to roughly 10 days’ worth of rain on Saturday, triggering widespread flooding and sending more than 1,100 people into evacuation centers across the capital, city disaster officials said.
The Manila City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department (MCDRRMD) said the heaviest rainfall was recorded at around 4 p.m. on Aug. 29, after the city endured repeated bouts of moderate to intense rain throughout the day.
MCDRRMD resident meteorologist and Chief of Research and Planning Christian John Evangelista said the highest daily rainfall total reached 147.4 millimeters at Dr. Alejandro Albert Elementary School in Sampaloc.
“Katumbas po ng sampung araw na ulan ang bumuhos sa Maynila kahapon,” Evangelista said.
He said the station also recorded the city’s highest hourly rainfall rate at around 4 p.m., reaching 23.6 millimeters.
Rainfall intensified in two major episodes, around 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., with all four monitoring stations reaching the “intense” category during the afternoon downpour.
The other monitoring stations recorded 143 mm at Cayetano Arellano High School, 135.8 mm at the BASECO Evacuation Center, and 129.6 mm at Manila City Hall.
The sustained downpour quickly overwhelmed several parts of the city, leaving major roads submerged.
MCDRRMD reported gutter-deep flooding along much of Taft Avenue and portions of España Boulevard. Floodwaters reached about eight inches along the Pedro Gil section of Roxas Boulevard and the Magsaysay-V. Mapa area in Sta. Mesa.
The deepest flooding was recorded along Kalaw Avenue toward Taft Avenue, where water reached about 10 inches, or half-knee level.
“Sapat po ang dami ng ulan na ito upang makapagtala ng mga pagbaha lalo na po sa ating low-lying areas,” Evangelista said.
The afternoon rainfall spike also triggered a sharp increase in the number of residents seeking shelter.
Data from the Manila Department of Social Welfare (MDSW) showed that the number of families and individuals in evacuation centers more than doubled between 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday.
By 8 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 30, a total of 367 families or 1,141 individuals were staying in evacuation centers across Manila.
The largest concentrations were recorded in Districts V and VI and the BASECO area.
Don Bosco School in District VI was sheltering 157 families or 518 individuals, while the BASECO Evacuation Center was accommodating 150 families or 450 individuals.
Manila City Social Welfare Officer Jay Dela Fuente said the MDSW had provided evacuees with hot meals, dinner, sleeping mats and breakfast.
The city government’s disaster officials said the rainfall pattern underscored the vulnerability of Manila’s low-lying communities, where even several hours of intense precipitation can rapidly translate into flooding and mass displacement.
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