With heavy rains peppering the city overnight, water levels started to rise and eventually flooded some barangays at the dawn of October 9.
More than 200 families were affected and evacuated, including some Envergan students. The Luzonian interviewed some of the students who experienced the floods.
“Parang may nagbuhos ng pagkakadaming tubig eh,” exclaimed a CAFA student whose house became submerged. He said that the water started rising at about 2:00 am, and by 3:00 am, they were forced to go up the roof. There was no warning and evacuation announcement and they were caught off guard. No rescue boats came and rafts did not go to them. They were only able to leave after the water shallowed.
“Parang ‘di ko na kaya ituloy plates ko… Lahat ng gamit ko bukod sa plates lubog,“ said the student, lamenting the loss of his gear and some older plates.
Still, the CAFA student and his family were safe, and he even cited that a bout of Bayanihan happened between them and their neighbors.
“At around 2:00 am nandyan na ang pagbaha and noong bandang 2:30 am ay umalis na kami,” said Dexter Hermedilla, a third year political science student from Brgy. Marketview. Hermedilla and his family went to a high place in the barangay and said that there were no rescuers or officials who came. At around 3:00 am they returned to check, the water level still reaching the stomach. Fortunately, no one died but some houses and a lot of items were washed away.
Another, is Gabriel Biler, a 2nd-year computer science student and resident of Prk. Anak Bagong Sinag, Brgy. Cotta said that the water started to rise at about 12:30 am and reached its peak around 2:00 am.
“Sa amin ay walang dumadating na rescuer. Ang mga tao ay kaniya-kaniya nang lumilikas at sinusuong ang baha upang makarating sa evacuation center,” Biler added.
The neck-deep flood then started to subside and at 5:30 am he managed to roam outside but some places were still submerged in knee-deep water.
Some parts of the University Site were also affected. Airadhel Bulacan, a 3rd-year education student from the Harvard Extension, said that the flooding started at around 3:30 am and subsided at around 5:00. They did not evacuate because their house was situated higher. As for the damages caused,
“Sa amin po ay wala. Nakataas na kasi gawa nong baha kahapon hindi na muna namin ibinaba pero yong mga alaga naming manok nangalunod. four lang ang nakaligtas sa mahigit 20.”
The torrential rains in Lucena City and other parts of Quezon were caused by a low-pressure area and the Southwest monsoon or habagat according to DOST–PAGASA.
