Rescuers unload the body of a man who died of natural causes at the height of heavy flooding brought about by tropical storm Fung-Wong flooded Marikina city, east of Manila, Philippines and most parts of the metropolis Friday, Sept. 19, 2014. AP
MANILA, Philippines–Even as the severe flooding brought by the rains of Tropical Storm “Mario” that shut down Metro Manila on Friday brought memories of that other killer tropical storm five years ago, the amount of rainfall “Mario” continues to dump in the metropolis won’t be twice as much.
”Wala pa tayo doon sa 455 millimeters ng Ondoy. The highest (amount of rainfall) we saw for ‘Mario’ was around 200 millimeters,” Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II told a media briefing Friday.
(We’ve not reached the 455 millimeters of Ondoy. The highest we saw for “Mario”, was around 200 millimeters.)
“Mario” battered the country Friday, a few days before the fifth anniversary of Ondoy, which killed at least 464 persons, displaced thousands, and destroyed millions of pesos worth of infrastructure and crops.
Ondoy dumped 455 mm of rain over a 24-hour period.
In a separate briefing, Aldczar Aurelio, forecaster for the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, said they have recorded 268 mm of rainfall by “Mario” over a 12-hour period or from 8 p.m. on Thursday to 8 a.m. Friday.
Aurelio said although he expected the amount of rainfall to go higher, it still wouldn’t be as much as Ondoy, which in a six-hour period dumped 347.5 mm of rainfall.
“Mahirap pang sabihin pero dahil magaaccumulate pa ng rainfall, syempre madadagdagan pa ito. I’m sure this is going to be more than 268 mm,” Aurelio said.
(It’s still hard to say but because there will be an increased accumulation of rainfall, of course, we can expect the 268 mm to go higher.)
Pagasa said rains in Metro Manila would continue until 8 p.m.
In Northern and Central Luzon, there will be heavy rains until Saturday night.
“Mario” is expected to leave the Philippine Area of Responsibility on Sunday morning.
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