Thousands Call For Help After Massive Flooding Trap People in Cagayan, Philippines

• Typhoon Vamco (Ulysses) wreaked havoc in the Philippines, submerging thousands of homes in Cagayan.
• Concerned netizens made noise on social media to share pleas for help as residents ended up getting trapped in their homes or stuck in their rooftops because of massive flooding.

Typhoon Vamco (local name Ulysses) recently devastated the Philippines and while the tropical cyclone is already outside of the country, it’s effects are still being felt by many. According to reports, thousands of people remain trapped in the province of Cagayan and the entire Cagayan Vallet because of deep flooding brought by the said typhoon.

Hashtags #CagayanNeedsHelp #IsabelaNeedsHelp and #TuguegaraoNeedsHelp trended on social media on Friday night.after netizens shared desperate calls for help from locals

Worst flood in decades: flood waters reached up to 15 feet in some areas.

In an interview with ABS-CBN, resident Nicole Irene Torrado shared:

“Our local government do not have enough manpower to rescue considering that they have been rescuing since yesterday. Water level is still rising at the moment and the Magat Dam still has gates open. We are in dire need of help as most of the towns are submerged in water higher than their roofs.”

Col. Ascio Macalan of the Cagayan Provincial Risk Reduction and Management Office described the horrific situation as a “Pacific Ocean” due to the unexpected massive flooding being experienced by the whole province.

Meanwhile, Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba told Rappler:

“The big problem is the degradation of our forests. The forests are abused here in both the Cordillera and Sierra Madre sides.

“If you come to Cagayan now, it’s like an ocean, you won’t see the river. I think through the years, we have neglected this. We need to have a holistic approach on how to do this. This is a summation of our wrongs to the environment.”

As of this writing, Cagayan has already been placed under the state of calamity.