Cagayan de Oro City

There is a low pressure area over the Visayas and Northern Mindanao that brought heavy winds and heavy rainfalls to Cagayan de Oro City, Gingoog City and Iligan City.

A cloudburst occured somewhere in Bukidnon and the released rainwaters found somehow the way to the Cagayan River and let rise the water level very quick on saturday.

(A cloudburst is different from waterspout. It is a cloud formation that suddenly burst, resulting to heavy rain pour. Cagayan de Oro would experience moderate to strong northeasterly winds more locally known as “Amihan” in the next 24 hours.)

Here are some pictures taken in the area of the ‘old bridge’ and the ‘new bridge’ on saturday Janury 03, 2009:

This photo was taken by the riverbank just behind the old water tower. In the top left side you see accross the Cagayan River the Pryce Hotel. The first floor of this house is almost submerged in flood waters.

Another photo of some smaller houses almost submerged under flood waters.

It seems this cow is wondering why all the juicy green grass is gone and only water to see.

People in the barangay of Carmen in Cagayan de Oro just standing in the flood waters of their submerged streets and looking at closed stores.

One of the wider streets. People standing or sitting on roofs and wondering what happend to them. Others just wading through the high waters while some have even to swim in the brown waters of the Cagayan River.

The women of the house debating on the balcon what to do and some of the men standing on the gate’s post or sitting on a roof and watching what was once there barangay street but now looks like a canal.

Another phenomen is when somewhere a catashrope or an accidents happens people starts trooping to watch other people in misery. This phenomen is called catastrophe tourism.

This one is the new bridge connecting Nazareth with Carmen. In the background are the hills of Malasag shrouded in clouds to see.

Hundreds of people came to watch the spectacle of the flood waters of the cagayan river from the new bridge.

Not all came just to watch. Some came to help. The police was on stand-by for any eventuallity.

Also the firedepartment was with some firetrucks on the scene and ready to help.

Another group came to help. The waterjet rescue group brought some of their waterjets and brought them to water in case their help would be needed for any rescue operation.

Some of the people got some ironsheets to get on the roofs of their houses others just sit in their houses and hope the waters of the cagayan river will not further rise.
A young man is taking care of his cocks and brings them to safety while a dog sitting on a roof.

Some electric wires are hanging dangerously low but the electric company CEPALCO had the electricity to this parts of the city cut.

In all this misery and mess two bitches aren’t bothered and let their little ones drink on a sidewalk surrounded by salvaged items from the houses.