Pepeng Has Arrived
By aylim14
@aylim14 (501)
Philippines
October 2, 2009 3:34am CST
again, i got this text message from a friend who works in the advertising industry.
"we just got this message here at work. Most of us are brief and already being asked to prepare. Here's the summary.
1. Typhoon Parma is classified as type 5 hurricane (same as Katrina)
2. Critical Hour is 9pm tonight so please go home already and do preparation.
3. Winds and rain stronger than milenyo
4. Metro Manila will be hit by tail/body
5. 9pm we'll know if tail has hit or if it changes directions
6. Charge phone because Meralco will shut down areas tonight
7. Flashlight, rope, food, medicine and prayers.
Well, maybe an exaggeration, maybe not. Maybe a spam message to incite fear maybe not. But for me, i'd rather be safe and secure rather than living a life of regret.
2 people like this
15 responses
@JennyMarie (366)
• United States
3 Oct 09
seeing how you posted this 16 hours ago I hope you have come thru the storm safely and everything is ok.
Please check in when you can and let us know how you are
@JennyMarie (366)
• United States
3 Oct 09
Well be careful and I will continue to hold you up in my prayers.
I guess you prepare for the Typhoon along the same lines as how we prepare for a hurricane. That was always a scary time for me. I am so glad I don't live in an area anymore that has to deal with hurricanes. I would always get very nervous when one was heading toward my home
@aylim14 (501)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
unfortunately, the news was a bit advance. According to the news, it will hit today this afternoon so we are really just preparing for the worst, but of course, hoping for the best. rain showers and drizzles are all we are experiencing here in QC, but in some provinces like Bicol, strong winds and rains were already felt. Not to mention that Lahar from Mayon Volcano is seen flowing out of the volcano.
@aylim14 (501)
• Philippines
8 Oct 09
sorry, i was not able to let you know that we are all ok here. Fortunately for us, the typhoon did not hit us here at Metro Manila, but our fellow countrymen at the North were severely hit. And right now they are still suffering from the floods it caused to their area, not to mention several landslides.
@angelajoy (1825)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
People are really panicking because of this coming typhoon. Last night I had a really hard time getting home because all public transportation were jam-packed with people. Lots of people were also shopping for food and other stuff. We are already prepared for the typhoon, but of course, we still hope that the typhoon would not hit us badly.
@angelajoy (1825)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
I know, I passed at Kamuning too last night. At times like this it would be better to assist people so that they would get calmer. It really wouldn't help to antagonize people when they are feeling so panicky.
@aylim14 (501)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
yes we are all hoping for that. But we are also expecting the worst, so that we can be prepared. anyways, i experienced that too. I mean, a lot of people were already at the street (particularly in EDSA). If i remember it right, it was the side going north at the gma-kamuning area where the people are already occupying 2 lanes of edsa, thus causing more traffic. There were no flooded areas, just a slight drizzle, but everyone has that sense of fear in them so they are, in my opinion, panicking at that time so my pity to the sole MMDA officer. If i were in his shoes, i really would not know what to do. That place was not supposed to be a loading/unloading area so imaging his burden to control traffic all by himself with around 200+ people and with him being the sole officer.
1 person likes this
@wahmivy (776)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
I usually don't bite right away if something is being circulated via text. I got the same text too from my Mom, but all I did was to turn on the TV for news and immediately got PAGASA's presscon and they were aptly warning the public not to be swayed by the text hype going around. The tips to prep were good though. I got out the candles, charged my phone, etc. However, another good thing that came off of the texting hype was the early dismissal of employees. :) My husband went straight to the supermarket, of course, along with other panic buyers, lol. Anyway, 9pm came and went and it has been pretty mild thus far. Hope the typhoon season will finally end.
@aylim14 (501)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
yes, the time was not right because according to the PAGASA, it slowed down in its course on the seas, but is expected to hit today, within 6 hours, as they said. So let us just all be vigilant and be prepared. But just so you know, there are already some places that were hit by the strong winds, like in Bicol where my Uncles and grandfather is staying. And some Northern provinces were also placed under storm signal number 3.
@irene66 (1669)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
I was anticipating it would really hit hard last night in our city but fortunately it didn't. I thank God for that. Though the electricity is really out last night, it was restored today. All classes in different levels were also suspended. It is really good to be prepared for the worst scenario.
@aylim14 (501)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
Yes, thankfully it did not because it is harder to react during the night than in the day. according to a newspaper, it will hit landfall within 6 hours, so whatever happens, let us just be vigilant and prepared. Again, better to be safe than to be sorry and regretful in the future. We were also anticipating it last night but it didn't come. Only slight rainshowers and a cooling breeze. So i am just hoping that that is all there is to it, but i can't help but think about the image views from PAGASA and CNN. Although i am no expert in these images, but if you can see the satellite images, you can see that it really has a huge area coverage.
@aylim14 (501)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
yes, but it is not yet over. It is still here near the country and expected landfall is in a couple of hours. Hopefully its course continues to go north so as to minimize its damage here. In addition, when it does hit Taiwn and other neighboring countries, i hope its damage will be minimized and will not cause any furthear damage and panic, as it already has.
@aixshaonline (600)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
I heard of this too. And so far, we're experiencing strong gusts of wind every now and then, but not too alarming that we have to lock ourselves up at home. I do hope and pray that God may spare us from another calamity.
@aylim14 (501)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
that's nice to hear, but it really isn't over yet. Pepeng is just around the corner and still unpredictable, so let's all still be prepared. if you visit the PAGASA website the typhoon still covers a huge area in the Philippines because of the clouds and winds it brought. so continue praying and stay prepared.
@anne25penn (3305)
• Philippines
2 Oct 09
I went out just this afternoon. At four, it was just a slight drizzle. My mom and I just bought some of her medicines, by the time we finished which was 5:30 P.M., it was already a downpour. My friends who responded to my discussions know that I am from San Mateo (Marikina side). The small commercial complex where we went is in Marikina and was also flooded last Saturday to Sunday. I grew alarmed with the speed that the water rose in front of the stores. One side of the road was already impassable because of flood water. We were lucky to get a taxi who informed us that some places in Marikina are starting to flood again. I believe him because the drainage/sewage system has not been cleaned yet and may be clogged with mud from the flood. I only hope that the storm will not bring a lot of rain. Please be safe everyone.
@aylim14 (501)
• Philippines
2 Oct 09
yes, that was what my friend told me too. 9pm is already coming in so let us all be vigilant and be prepared of what will happen. Whether it is true or not, whether it will hit or not, it really is better to be prepared than to regret and be sorry afterwards. right now, the is only a light drizzle but some areas in QC have "flooded" areas already. By flooded i mean water up to 1/4 to 1/2 of a car's tire.
Circle was one a while ago. an area in katipunan avenue and some side streets.
@sandymay16 (1617)
• Philippines
2 Oct 09
Hi, you're right it's better to be safe than sorry. I have texted my friend in Camarines Sur and she said they are always prepared because they are always in the typhoon path. They have already evacuated to the church center even before the typhoon came.
here in Negros there's no rain but it was windy and rainy early dawn, I thought the storm has changed its course. Now it's a little gloomy and a little cold but no rain. We're not in the typhoon path but we have been always prepared because the weather now is very unpredictable.
@aylim14 (501)
• Philippines
2 Oct 09
yes that's good. but i receieved a comment form a fellow mylotter who is from bicol too. He said that they were spared by ondoy. anyways, i have not checked my resources on that but i think they did not have any problems last typhoon. And this one too. But one thing is for sure, you are prepared. so are we. and just hoping that everyone else is also prepared.
@Rainegurl (2156)
• Philippines
2 Oct 09
Hi, aylim 
I think it is best if you follow the advice and prepare as much as you can. After what happened with Ondoy, where people where really caught unprepared, I think you are right in deciding to choose being safe and secure.
Take care, aylim, and we are continue praying that Pepeng would just pass and harm no one.
I think it is best if you follow the advice and prepare as much as you can. After what happened with Ondoy, where people where really caught unprepared, I think you are right in deciding to choose being safe and secure.
Take care, aylim, and we are continue praying that Pepeng would just pass and harm no one.
@LetranKnight25 (33121)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
hello aylim,
Yes, they have arrived but fortunately the storm has weakened and it's no longer as strong as so called katrina hurricane but still the rain can cause flood to a lot of people in their homes.
@calientemamma (18)
• Philippines
2 Oct 09
it's already raining here in valenzuela city, and i am keeping my fingers crossed that it won't get any stronger since we all know how bad it floods in valenzuela (aside from the other areas as well). we have prepared candles in case meralco decides to shut down power. we have food although we weren't able to stock up on mineral water for the baby. i am praying that it won't rain too hard because we haven't even gotten up from ondoy, and here comes another one. this definitely won't help our fellowmen.
@aylim14 (501)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
yes i know, i used to go there before. especially the area around that certain bridge where you cannot cross over to valenzuela if the river overflows, was it tulyahan bridge? or something like that. anyways, i guess the message i got was wrong, in a sense that it did not hit yesterday, because according to the newspaper a while ago that i read, it slowed down in the seas so maybe that was one case. However, in Bicol, Pepeng has really already arrived. Although we cannot feel it here in Metro Manila, some of our fellow countrymen have already experienced the strong winds and rain.
According to PAGASA, it will come today in less that 6 hours, so let us all be vigilant and prepared.
@LdeL0318 (6400)
• Philippines
2 Oct 09
Yes, I agree. Prevention will always be better so we should always be prepared because we never know when will disaster hit us. Here in our place Pepeng can already be felt. It's raining already but I hope it won't be like Ondoy.
@aylim14 (501)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
i believe that i won't be like Onody because they said that it does not have much rain with it, but winds that are 190+kph was really strong. If i remember it right, Bicol experienced Reming in 2006 i think, which has sustained winds of roughly the same speed and bent down even telecom towers. so i don't know what will happen to us if it really hit the Philippines. Other scenarios are still possible since we really cannot control the typhoon. It can still go south or whatever, just really hoping that it won't.
@TheAdvocate (2392)
• Philippines
3 Oct 09
I have been getting the same text all day since yesterday. They are all alarmed since I just came out from Provident Village unshod and soaking from the flood water that i just waded through. My house is still being cleaned, and the mud in the village are all in front of the houses in the village (still no garbage pick-up). Yesterday, the main road flooded again after a few hours of not too strong rains. My family has temporarily moved out of Provident while it is being rehabilitated. After my ordeal weekend, I have learned to be thankful with what God gave me. Neverthless, my family is still being vigilant, although we have not resorted to panic buying yet.
