Sudden downpour snarls traffic, strands passengers

A SUDDEN downpour on Monday night flooded some parts of Metro Manila, causing traffic jams and stranding passengers rushing home.

At past 8 p.m., the state weather agency said a thunderstorm was affecting Metro Manila particularly in Quezon City, Paranaque, Taguig, Makati, Pasay, Manila, Mandaluyong, Pasig and Marikina which could last for 2 hours.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority issued flood warnings to advise motorists which roads were passable and impassable.

“As of 8:31 PM, Pasong Tamo Tunnel Magallanes both direction. Waist deep. Not passable to all types of vehicles,” MMDA said in a Twitter post.

It added that as of 8:31 p.m., “Edsa Taft Rotonda Savemore south band has gutter deep floodwaters but “passable to all types of vehicles.”

Traffic in some parts of Edsa was heavy following the downpour.

The MMDA traffic updates:

-As of 8:59 PM, EDSA SB: Muñoz(moderate) Timog-Malibay(heavy) Tramo-Taft Ave.(moderate).

– As of 8:59 PM, EDSA NB: Taft-Tramo(M) Pasay-Aurora(MH) Qmart(M)

– As of 8:59 PM, C5 NB: Market-Eastwood (MH) Libis-Miriam (MH) P. Tuazon-Ateneo (MH) C.P. Garcia-UP (M) T. Sora (M)

-As of 8:59 PM, C5 SB: T. Sora (M) U.P-Ateneo (M) P. Tuazon-B. Serrano (M) Libis-Kalayaan (MH) Market(M)

Stranded passengers took to Twitter to vent their frustrations.

Adrian Chuayap ‏@ianchuayap  said: “It’s more baha in the Philippines!”

“OLRAYT GRABE BAHA ALONG TAFT AVE. TAFT AVENUE WATERPARK NA ITU. RAK,” said Sace Natividad ‏@Sace_Natividad.

Meanwhile, CATH ‏@CathTaroma  reported: “Grabe yung baha. Nakakadiri!”

Joleen Bandola ‏@joleengxx gave a description of the road situation in their area: “Sobrang lakas ng ulan, baha pa hahaha lusong pa more!”

To cope with being stranded, heisenBER ‏@berenbello  tweeted: “Kakalimutan ko na lang na na-stranded ako sa market market ng isa’t kalating oras dahil sa lakas ng ulan.”

Another stranded worker, Zaney ‏@hanniYEY, said: “stranded sa office. ang saya po neto. bago na ang address ko.”