Tornado sweeps through Manila

A rare tornado hit Manila and nearby areas on Sunday, which, according to a report by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, originated from land.The tornado was first spotted in the Port Area at around 4:30pm and was seen travelling toward Intramuros and Balic-Balic districts in Manila, and then to Galas and New Manila in Quezon City.It toppled trees, electrical posts and destroyed property along its way.Among those hit and damaged was the National Press Club (NPC) building in Intramuros. Parts of the glass staircase of the NPC was destroyed and as well as some of makeshift eateries in front.Several houses were reported damaged and a number of residents were injured in the Baseco compound in Tondo. The area is adjacent to the Port Area where the twister was believed to have formed.The twister also shattered the glass door of a 24-hour convenience store and felled some trees on G. Tuazon Street.The tornado was caught on video by Twitter user Karen Madrigal as it swung from the Port Area and Intramuros in Manila.Madrigal uploaded a time-lapse video of her two-minute clip of the tornado, taken from her condominium unit in Binondo district.Meanhwile, flood spawned by heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon have submerged 22 villages in two cities and four towns of the province since Friday, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) reported.At least six villages in the City of Meycauayan (3 to 5 feet); six in Malolos City (2 to 4 feet); six in Balagtas (1 foot to 2 feet); three in Bustos (1 foot to 3 feet); two in Marilao (1 foot to 2 feet); and one in Norzagaray (1 foot), were reported to be still submerged in floodwater as of Sunday noon.Residents in this capital city said the flooding could be the worst in the past few years and blamed the still unfinished upgrading of the MacArthur highway for the slow receding floods.Bulacan PDRRMO officer Liz Mungcal said some 585 families or 2,814 persons were evacuated in 17 government evacuation centres since Saturday.In flood-hit areas of Marikina City in Metro Manila, more than 9,000 people have been reported to be staying in 21 evacuation centres in the city.According to the Public information Office of Marikina City, the water level in the Marikina River is down at 16.3 metres as of 11:05am on Sunday and is still on “Alert Level 2” as all of the river’s eight flood gates were opened.As of 10:30am on Sunday, the water elevation at Angat dam was 179.89 metres which is still way below its spilling level of 210 metres.The water level at Ipo dam, on the other hand, was at 101.33 metres, exceeding its 101-metre spilling level while the water elevation at Bustos dam was 17.40, nearing its 17.70-metre spilling level.The La Mesa dam in Quezon City was placed on red alert on the same day, according to Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa).Pagasa hydrologist Richard Orendain said the dam is almost overflowing as the water level reached 80.06 metres as of 10am Sunday, 0.9 metres away from its spilling level of 80.15 metres.Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) announced it welcomes donations for families adversely affected by the continuous rains.It clarified that donations may be directly coursed to recipients through local government units.“Interested donors in the National Capital Region [Metro Manila] who want to course their donations through the DSWD can directly proceed to the National Resource Operations Center along Chapel Road in Pasay City. Likewise, they can proceed to DSWD-NCR Office at San Rafael Street, Legarda, Manila,” DSWD Secretary Judy Taguiwalo said.‘’Outside NCR, they can also proceed to the nearest DSWD Field Office in their area. Aside from DSWD, they can give their donations to their local government units,” she added.