Today, September 3, 2019, Cebu City experienced one of the heaviest torrential rains in recent months. It lasted for more than an hour and left in its wake a massive flood which stranded thousands of commuters and stalled hundreds of vehicles. The resulting traffic jam prevented vehicles traveling south from moving forward and they ended up getting stuck in the same spot for hours.
I was on my way to SM Seaside City Cebu at the South Road Properties for an event when it started raining really hard. I had to take shelter in a gas station to make sure that I don’t wet my camera. I thought that the rain would stop after only a few minutes. However, I ended up staying in the same spot for more than an hour.
As I was standing near one of the gas pumps together with the other stranded motorcycle riders, I noticed that traffic was moving really slow. Initially, I thought that it was due to an accident or a road closure. I was wrong.
After almost two hours at the gas station, the rain finally stopped. Although traffic was still slow-moving, I immediately headed straight towards the South Road Properties because I was very, very late. And then, this was what I saw:
A massive flood has prevented vehicles from moving further. Some brave souls, however, couldn’t be stopped. Like the driver of these two vehicles, for example. And that guy lugging those sacks, of course.
Residents of the area filled the streets close to the site. Most of them were still wet from the rain (FYI, ‘playing in the rain’ is a fun Cebuano activity especially when in the company of neighbors and friends.)
This guy waddled through the floodwater in his bare feet. Oh no!
Some of the very first vehicles that decided to have a go at it were the bigger ones like buses and trucks.
A lot of motorcycle riders attempted to make the crossing, too, but failed. Most of them ended up requesting assistance from the kids who were playing in the water.
After minutes of contemplating, this guy decided to brave the flood but stayed on the ‘sidewalk’ as it was more shallow and a lot safer.
This guy couldn’t wait any further and decided to wade through the flood with his bike next to him. Note the shops and houses along the road that were also affected by the flood.
After several minutes, one by one, the buses that were stuck in traffic decided to go for it.
These bus passengers are finally understanding why they were stuck in traffic for more than an hour.
As big vehicles enter the water, they create ripples which end up hitting the vehicles parked near the edge of the water.
It got my last pair of dry sneakers all wet!
The bigger the splash the vehicles made, the louder the neighborhood kids cheered.
One guy took the opportunity to introduce his pet to the public.
This old lady slowly makes her way towards ‘dry land’ as she holds her belongings tight. Note: She did make it to dry land safely.
Several more minutes later, more and more people decided to make the crossing despite the potential dangers.
This MyBus was finally able to move after being stuck for almost two hours.
I stayed in the area (edge of the water) for about an hour and the whole time, I noticed only one guy wearing a ‘volunteer’ jacket. He helped man the traffic and notify people about the situation.
Several more minutes later, one by one, smaller vehicles like jeepneys also decided to give it a try.
These bus passengers couldn’t believe what they were seeing. Who wouldn’t, really?
I noticed that some residents in the area collected the plastic bottles that littered the streets during the flood. Great job, guys!
The water level of the small creek near the ‘flood site’ was extremely high. The residents along the creek, however, did not seem too bothered.
I caught sight of this dude in the water. Initially, I was shocked because I seriously thought that he was drowning.
It turned out that he was actually collecting floating plastic bottles. To make sure that he doesn’t get swept away, a rope is wrapped around his right leg. Looks pretty nerve-wracking, don’t you think?
It is extremely dangerous, but kudos to this guy because he is actually doing a pretty awesome job.
Here is a view of the vehicles stuck in traffic due to the flood. That’s a huge traffic jam!
The lane heading north is very relaxed and empty. That explains why a lot of people decided to make a U-turn as soon as they reached this spot.
A huge number of motorcycle riders are sitting at the edge of the flood and waiting for the water to subside.
Those who saw the extent of the flood couldn’t help but whip out their phones and take a photo or a video.
The flooding affected thousands of commuters – a good number of them heading south.
Here is another view of more commuters patiently waiting for the water level to drop.
Check out this video of the heavy flood that welcomed September 2019.
Did you experience the heavy flooding today, too? Let us know about your experience in the comments below!
