WeatherFanatics: Four Feet of Rain Floods Philippines, Displaces More Than 100,000 People

Monday, January 20, 2014

Four Feet of Rain Floods Philippines, Displaces More Than 100,000 People

By Eric Leister, Meteorologist

January 20,2014; 9:30PM,EST

Parts of the Philippines have been ravaged by extreme weather and natural disasters during the past six months.
A deadly earthquake killed more than 100 people in October while damaging some of the oldest buildings in the country.
Super Typhoon Haiyan, one of the strongest storms on record at landfall, battered much of the central and southern Philippines while leaving entire towns destroyed and killing more than 6,000 people.

In this Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014 photo, rescuers from the Comval Emergency Response Team continue their rescue operation following the flooding in the southern Philippines. (AP Photo/A. Dayao)
Parts of the central and southern Philippines, particularly eastern Mindanao, have suffered through rounds of torrential rainfall during the month of January that have affected nearly 800,000 people, according to Philippine Government.
More than 120,000 people have been displaced from their homes by the flooding during the same period, while at least 42 have been killed by flooding or mudslides.
Some of the hardest hit areas, including Hinatuan and Surigao, have received more than 4 feet (1,220 mm) of rain since Jan. 1, with rainfall occurring each day so far this year.
For comparison, Hinatuan's 52.47 inches (1,333 mm) of rainfall through Jan. 20 is more than the normal yearly precipitation in New York City, which is 49.94 inches (1,269 mm).

In this Sunday, Jan. 12, 2014 photo, a house is half submerged in floodwaters in the southern Philippines. (AP Photo/A. Dayao)
While the southern Philippines have experienced a deluge of rain, Manila in the northern Philippines has recorded no measurable rainfall this month, as of Jan. 20.
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No relief is in sight for the southern Philippines as moisture from former Tropical Storm Lingling, combined with the local monsoon, will lead to more heavy rainfall this week.
Areas can see an additional 6-12 inches (150-300 mm) by the weekend, worsening flooding while continuing the threat for mudslides.

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