Recently, storm No. 13 Vamco (Philippine name Ulysses) moved through Luzon Island with winds of 155 km/h. Compared to Super Typhoon Goni earlier this month, Vamco's winds are weaker, but it moves directly through the Manila urban area.
Heavy rains caused by Vamco immediately paralyzed the capital Manila and surrounding areas, causing a large area to be submerged in water.
On November 12, Marikina City, a suburb of Manila, was flooded about 1 meter deep, forcing people to travel roughly on the streets. The cars were submerged in water all the way up to the wheels and could not move.
Many people in low-lying areas had to move their belongings and move to new areas to avoid flooding. In Metro Manila and neighboring areas alone, 2.5 million households were without power for 10 hours.
In order to ensure the safety of the people, the Philippine Red Cross Society, police, military and rescue forces used boats to approach people trapped in deeply flooded areas. Rescue teams prioritized bringing the elderly, children, women, etc. to safety.
According to estimates from the representative of the Philippine Civil Defense Agency, the rainfall caused by Vamco is currently nearly equal to the total rainfall of Ketsana in 2009. At least two people have died, four are missing and eight are injured in Camarines Norte province.
Currently, storm No. 13 Vamco is moving in the East Sea area. It is expected that on the night of November 14, the storm will enter the offshore waters of the provinces from Ha Tinh to Thua Thien Hue and cause heavy rain.
