Context and Rationale

Flood as a social problem There are few places on Earth where people need not be
concerned about flooding. With the onset of rainy season, we need to be prepared for possible
flash floods, landslides, and related disasters especially in high risk and vulnerable areas, that is
why in Philippines flood is a major problem.
Many people die every year because of this natural disaster. Most floods take hours or
even days to develop, giving residents ample time to prepare or evacuate, but not in Philippines
floods develop in a shorter period. Others generate quickly and with little warning. These flash
floods can be extremely dangerous, instantly turning a babbling brook into a thundering wall of
water and sweeping everything in its path downstream. There are many causes of flood.
Typhoons may cause flooding to coastal areas. When there is a typhoon, the atmospheric
pressure is low. Sea level rises and affects the volume of water flowing from the river to the
sea. This indirectly leads to flooding. Flooding always occur in coastal areas. Because whenever
there are high tides or storms, the sea level will raise. If the sea level is higher than the level of
the coastal lowland, flooding will occur. Heavy rainfall raises the water level. When the water
level is higher than the river banks or the dams, the water comes out from the river, there will
have flooding. But even small amount of rainfalls in our country may cause flood.
It was the worst rainy weather people of Sabang II had seen. The skies remained
overcast as sheets of rain poured down without stopping. In the morning, the rain was usually
accompanied by blinding flashes of lightning and deafening peals of thunder. Most of the
residents in the area remained confined indoors. Apart from people scurrying to and from work
and school, there was little outdoor activity.

The town Allen where Sabang II is, faces its river. After hours of continuous rain, the
swollen river burst its banks and unleashed its fury on the residents. Many of the residents
were caught off-guard. As the floodwaters rose, many of the residents were forced to flee their
homes. Specially the residents from Esperanza near the river.

Because the area was not a flood-prone area, many were caught by surprise. And this was not
the monsoon season. Every year, the north-east monsoon would bring heavy rains to the east coast at
the end of each year. However, the sudden floods in the beginning of the year caused jitters among the
residents.

Houses were flooded. Poor drainage systems due to widening and garbage disposal
problems aggravated the impact of the flash flood that struck Allen last January. The heavy
downpour also triggered 4 minor landslides, causing further damage to houses. The
heavy rain caused traffic woes as many vehicles were stalled. Some motorists were seen
pushing their stalled vehicles while others were stranded.
66 households were affected and submerged in floodwaters, while four minor landslides occurred in
nearby Cabacungan village.The local government has instructed village officials to evacuate the
affected families and transfer them to the local facility. Aside from submerged houses, about 50
percent of the planted rice fields in the area have been affected, based on its initial report

This study will tackle on the experiences of the Sabang 2 residents in Allen Northern Samar
last January during the flash flood. Also it will talk about other factors like climate change, high
tides, poor drainage system that caused the the flood.