My home is flooded
Friends, I have been on Tumblr for years now and I know how important information here spreads like wild fire - please, help spread this one.
My home, my beautiful city of Cagayan de Oro City has been devastated by the worst flood our people have ever seen.
Dead bodies are still hanging from trees or are floating at sea, houses or what’s left of them are scattered everywhere, wailing mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters and love ones are still looking for their family members, evacuates are still unable to access clean water to wash their mud-filled bodies and dried tears, hungry and thirsty children line up along with their mothers to accept donated goods.
It happened on December 16, a Friday where Kagayanons were partying and preparing their gifts for the nearing season but 12 midnight struck and as expected, Signal No. 2 Bagyong Sendong brought strong winds and heavy rain. But it wasn’t until around after midnight when the water rose inside houses awakening the shocked, unexpected residents. They rushed to wake up the people in their houses and their neighbors but the water rose too fast, from ankle-deep, in seconds it became waist-high then within minutes, neck-high. Those fortunate to have second floors scrambled to higher ground but even that wasn’t high enough to escape the water so they retreated to their roofs while electricity was out, people where screaming from panic and the rain was as strong and cold as ever.
A friend who came home at midnight noticed the river from her window and awoken her brothers, sister and parents. They left everything to escape the frightening rise of the river, just in time to ride in their car and escape within mere seconds as the river flooded their entire home. Their neighbors trapped in their rooftops, the water rose to 10 feet or more and covered their entire neighborhood. After receiving a text from her, confirming she was well and alive, Ish, my sister and I rushed to her to bring her what clothes we could find for her and her family. We met her at the hotel where she and her dad stayed as the rest of the family were at the hospital to look after the two brothers having high fever. She was still in the mud-filled clothes when we arrived, she was shaken but amazingly strong even though her law books, clothing, everything in their possession was destroyed by the flood.
One of our houses in Tibasak, one of the most devastated area was not spared. Arriving in the house I grew up for more than 10 years which was covered in mud from 7-feet down was heart-breaking. Good thing our house had a second floor as 40 of our neighbors evacuated to our house and was seek refuge there as the water rose to cover the ground floor.
As of today, evacuate areas are very crowded, drinking and washing water is the most scarce necessity, many are still looking for their missing loved ones, and homes and spirits are broken.
I ask my Tumblr family to please help, here are some helpful website you can visit to extend your season spirit, as we are a week away from Christmas, we cannot celebrate it as cheerfully as the rest of the world as many of my fellow Kagay-anons are still trying to figure out how to rise from the mud.
