Word: ketsana
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Torrential rains brought on by Typhoon Ketsana ravaged the Philippine capital, causing flooding that killed at least 250 people, displaced thousands and submerged buildings beneath up to 20 ft. (6 m) of water. Several countries pledged aid, and President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo opened her palace to those left homeless. But critics, who note that the city of 12 million has long been considered flood-prone and lacking in proper drainage systems, blamed the government for not doing more to head off the disaster...
...survivors wade through waist-deep floodwaters in the aftermath of Typhoon Ketsana, students of the Harvard Philippine Forum (HPF) have begun raising funds and awareness to help its victims...
Andrew R. Marks, director of communications for Paul Farmer’s famed Partners in Health lauded HPF’s efforts in aiding the victims of Typhoon Ketsana by garnering “support to help people get back on their feet...
...Last weekend's flood was in large part the result of the capital's poor drainage and sanitation systems, which have been neglected by several successive administrations in power. As Ketsana rained down upon Manila, sewers that were clogged up by plastic bags and other refuse led to roads becoming rivers and gardens lagoons. Video images of desperate people riding floating pontoons of garbage down inundated streets were a sign not just of the consequences of the flood, but also its causes. Many impoverished Manila residents live in makeshift settlements by rivers and creeks - the source of their drinking water...
...given the looming specter of climate change, they may have to find a way sooner rather than later. The prospect of another typhoon this week underscores environmentalists' concern that shifts in global temperatures may mean increasingly extreme weather patterns for coastal cities like Manila. "[Ketsana] was a startling, unique event," says Herminia Francisco of the EEPSA in Singapore. "But then I think this is going to happen more and more frequently in the future." (See a TIME graphic on destructive weather...