Philippines in Shock as Flood Death Toll Climbs to 1,000

December 20, 2011 from Al Jazeera English

A state of national disaster has been declared in the Philippines. Flash floods triggered by Tropical Storm Washi have killed almost one thousand people, and the local government is preparing temporary communal tombs to house many of the bodies. Tens of thousands of people are also homeless, relying on the volunteers who have flocked to the worst affected areas - bringing food, water and support. Al Jazeera's Marga Ortigas reports from Iligan in southern Philippines.

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Iligan

The City of Iligan is a first class highly urbanized city in the province of Lanao del Norte, Philippines. It was part of Central Mindanao and now under Northern Mindanao. Iligan has a total land area of 813.37 km2, making it one of the 10 largest cities in the Philippines in ... Explore this topic

Philippines

The Philippines, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines, is a sovereign state in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam. The Sulu Sea to the southwest lies between... Explore this topic

Flash flood

A flash flood is a rapid flooding of geomorphic low-lying areas: washes, rivers, dry lakes and basins. It may be caused by heavy rain associated with a severe thunderstorm, hurricane, tropical storm, or meltwater from ice or snow flowing over ice sheets or snowfields. Flash fl... Explore this topic

Natural disaster

A natural disaster is a major adverse event resulting from natural processes of the Earth; examples include floods, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other geologic processes. A natural disaster can cause loss of life or property damage, and typically leaves some ... Explore this topic

State of emergency

A state of emergency is a governmental declaration which usually suspends a few normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviors, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can a... Explore this topic

Mindanao

Mindanao is the second largest and southernmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. Davao City is the largest city in Mindanao. Of the island'... Explore this topic

Tropical cyclone

The Tropical Cyclone type holds all hurricanes, typhoons, tropical storms and other 'warm core' storm systems. A tropical cyclone is a storm system fueled by the heat released when moist air rises and the water vapor in it condenses. The term describes the storm's origin in... Explore this topic

Tropical Storm Washi (2011)

Severe Tropical Storm Washi was a late-season tropical cyclone that caused catastrophic damage in the Philippines in late 2011. Washi, which means Aquila in Japanese, made landfall over Mindanao, a major island in the Philippines, on December 16. Washi weakened slightly after ... Explore this topic

Rain

Rain is liquid water in the form of droplets that have condensed from atmospheric water vapor and then precipitated—that is, become heavy enough to fall under gravity. Rain is a major component of the water cycle and is responsible for depositing most of the fresh water on the... Explore this topic

Flood

Plūdi — sauszemes, kas parasti nav klāta ar ūdeni, applūšana. Galvenie plūdu iemesli ir ilgstoši nokrišņi, sniega kušana, cunami, ledus sastrēgumi, kuru dēļ ūdens nevar tecēt pa upi un ceļas ūdens līmenis. Plūdi var būt arī tad, ja ūdens līmeņa celšanos neiztur kāds dambis vai... Explore this topic

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Iligan

Natural disaster

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