Carina aftermath: A glimpse of flood-hit stores along España, Manila

ROUGH WATERS. To avoid getting drenched, people cram themselves on a makeshift banca, as it is pushed along the perennially flooded España Boulevard in Manila on July 24, 2024, following heavy rains that prompted the declaration of a state of calamity in Metro Manila. —MARIANNE BERMUDEZ

MANILA, Philippines — The sun was already up, and the roads around España Boulevard were already cleared of floods earlier Thursday when I decided to take a few snaps of Typhoon Carina’s aftermath around the area. Not much to see from my side along G. Tolentino Street so I walked near Padre Campa area to check for flood-affected stores and restaurants, but all of them were closed.

It was windy and drizzling despite the sunny weather — people were already back to their daily routine, and cars were already filling up the roads, which were covered with chest-deep flood water on Wednesday night. I joined several people climbing up the overpass to take photos and videos of the traffic situation near Morayta when I spotted some people cleaning up their stores on the southbound side of the road.

Thrift store workers cleaning up their flood-hit shop along España Boulevard after the heavy rains brought by typhoon Carina. INQUIRER.net / Faith Argosino

While descending the stairs, I looked around and saw several workers and store owners chatting as they removed flood water from the lower part of their shops using dust pans and pails. In front of a muddied thrift store just below the overpass was a pile of shoes gathered by tired-looking workers.

READ: LIST: Flooded roads in Metro Manila

Thrift store workers cleaning up their flood-hit shop along España Boulevard after the heavy rains brought by typhoon Carina. INQUIRER.net / Faith Argosino

Among those cleaning the area was 30-year-old boutique worker Cy Marquez. It was around 9:30 a.m. when I approached her. She was smiling and holding a warm coffee while helping a fellow worker scoop flood water out of the shop.

Cy Marquez and other boutique staff removing flood water from their shop along España Boulevard after the heavy rains brought by typhoon Carina. INQUIRER.net / Faith Argosino

According to Marquez, they had been closed since Wednesday and could only check the shop around 8 a.m. on Thursday after the main roads had been cleared of flood.

“Closed kami kahapon ang taas kasi ng baha hanggang tuhod kaya di namin pinuntahan dito,” Marquez told INQUIRER.net in an interview.

(We were closed yesterday and did not attempt to visit the shop since the flood here reached knee level.)

“Umabot hanggang sa mga palda na nakasabit yung tubig. Umabot hanggang bewang yung tubig, yung mga stocks namin sa ilalim nabasa,” she added.

(The flood water inside the shop reached even the shirts hanging. It climbed up to waist level, and our stocks stored under the dresses got wet.)

She allowed me to take a video and photos of the shop — inside were pastel-colored skirts, dresses, shorts, and floral tops hanging on racks and stands, while underneath them was a stock of clothes placed inside large plastic bags drenched with flood water.

Flooding has always been common along España, especially for those who have lived and worked around the area for many years. But its aftermath has always been a hassle for workers left with no choice but to stop their operations and clean their stores.

Helping Marquez and other store owners was 59-year-old Juliet Gozon, a vendor of accessories such as small fans, chargers, and hair clips, among others. Her post is just below the overpass near Padre Campa Street.

Gozon was among the few people who went back to check on the area during Carina’s onslaught.

“Nung mga 6 a.m. [kahapon] baha na hanggang tuhod. Pumunta kami sa bodega namin at inilipat yung paninda namin baka mabasa, pero basa na rin yung iba. Nilipat sa bodega namin sa P. Campa,” Gozon said.

(Around 6 a.m. yesterday, the flood was already knee-deep. We went to our storage and transferred our stocks to another storage along Padre Campa Street.)

She said España was already covered with almost knee-deep flood water at that time and reached waist level after they finished transferring their merchandise to an elevated area somewhere on Padre Campa Street around 10:30 a.m.

“Nandito na ko since 1996, sanay na sanay na sa baha pero matagal tagal na rin bago nagkaganito. Hindi naman kami kinabahan kasi nasanay na meron namang overpass,” she added.

(I’ve been selling around the area since 1996 and got used to the floods, but this is the first in a long time that the water has climbed this high again. But I was not afraid since I was already used to this, and there was an overpass.)

After helping out Marquez and others, she returned to her stall, slowly setting up a table with chargers and other items for sale.

With a seemingly positive outlook in life, she said: “Marami na tayong nadaanang bagyo. Baha? Marami na rin tayong nadaanang baha, sanay na.”

(We already experienced many typhoons. Floods? We also experienced a lot of floods. We’re used to it.)

A worker of a fast food restaurant cleaning up their flood-hit shop along España Boulevard after the heavy rains brought by typhoon Carina. INQUIRER.net / Faith Argosino

Based on the state weather bureau’s report, Carina exited the Philippine area of responsibility around 6:20 a.m. on Thursday.

In its latest bulletin, the state weather bureau reported that Carina was spotted some 465 kilometers north of Itbayat, Batanes, packing maximum sustained winds of 150 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 185 kph.

Batanes, however, remains under signal no. 1, where a 39 to 61 kph wind speed is expected, causing minimal to minor threat to life and property.