When It Rains In Torrents

Davao City wrapped in green.

This is Davao City in the southern part of the Philippines and this is where my family lives.  When tyhoon Ondoy hit mostly in Manila and nearby provinces, Davao City suffered rains and grey weather.  When my sister texted me about how heavy the rain was, I texted her back that it could be a typhoon somewhere.  That was before we knew how badly affected the areas were.  Although this city has always been spared from severe natural disaster ( thank God for this),  I couldn’t help but worry about my family everytime there’s a calamity in the other parts of the country.  I or we would never know when that time would strike.  When I read about another typhoon was on it’s way to the Philippines again, I warned my relatives there to take precautions, especially when it rains heavily.  Today, my sister texted me that typhoon Pepeng blew away some rooftops and billboards somewhere in Northern Luzon, while it was hot in Davao.  I felt relief when I read this message from her.

When I looked at the picture above, I couldn’t believe how the trees and mountains surround Davao and how it looks like an environment-friendly city.  Yet, despite of those kind of yields against odds, flooding is an expected situation when it rains in torrents.  When hubby and I were there in July, I saw the speedy rise of water in the streets and how the vehicles’ engines stopped amidst heavy traffic.  That was just a light rain that poured for a couple of hours.  Imagine how it would be if it rained cats and dogs for several hours.  This is why I worry about my family when typhoons hit the Philippines because Davao would have rainshowers that sometimes cause flooding streets.  And I hope against hope it will not rain in torrents.