Contents
The story of Ondoy, chapter by chapter
What happened on 26 September 2009, where the water went, how communities recovered and how the rivers are managed now.
These chapters are written for readers who were not there, for those who were and want to understand more, and for families who want to pass the story on. They draw on widely reported facts about the storm and its aftermath. Where figures varied between sources, we use general terms rather than a single number. Read them in order, or jump to the place or topic that matters to you.
The storm of 26 September 2009
Ondoy was not the strongest storm to reach Luzon. It was the wettest day Metro Manila had ever measured.
Marikina under water
A valley city built around its river saw that river leave its banks faster than anyone had planned for.
Pasig, Cainta and the Rizal towns
Downstream and on the floodplain east of the capital, the water stayed longer than anyone expected.
Laguna de Bay's slow flood
Rivers rise and fall within days. A lake that rises can stay high for months.
The long recovery
Relief arrived in days. Rebuilding homes, livelihoods and confidence took years.
Managing the Marikina River
Parks, gauges, alarms and dredging: how a city learns to live with a river that can rise many metres in a day.
The Manggahan Floodway
A straight channel built to protect central Manila, and the trade-offs that come with it.
Laws and lessons after Ondoy
Within a year of the storm, the Philippines rewrote how it plans for disasters. Here is what changed, in plain language.
When you have read the story, turn it into action with the family preparedness guides, or visit the places along the Marikina River where the city remembers.
