2010–11 Philippine floods facts for kids

From December 2010 to February 2011, heavy rains caused widespread floods in the Philippines. These floods affected many areas, especially in the central part of Visayas and the eastern sections of Luzon and Mindanao. By January 2011, over 1.2 million people were impacted across many towns and provinces.

What Caused the Floods?

The main reasons for the floods were a "stationary front" and "wind convergence." Imagine a stationary front as a weather boundary that stays in one place, bringing continuous rain. Wind convergence happens when winds from different directions meet, forcing air upwards and creating more rain.

The Philippine weather agency, PAGASA, had warned that these weather systems would bring heavy rain to places like Eastern Visayas and Central Visayas.

How the Floods Happened

December 2010: First Floods Start

The first reports of flooding came from the Bicol Region, specifically in Albay and Sorsogon provinces. The governor of Albay, Joey Salceda, declared a state of emergency. This was because the heavy rains had caused two deaths and forced about 4,000 people to leave their homes. People living in affected areas were told to evacuate for their safety.

There were worries about mudflows, called lahar, from the nearby Mayon Volcano. However, experts said this was not a risk. In Sorsogon, a nearby province, 170 families had already moved to safer places.

January 1 to 5: Floods Spread

As the new year began, the weather system moved to the central Philippines. It brought a long band of rain from Southern Leyte to Misamis Oriental. PAGASA predicted more rain for these areas.

Sadly, at least five people died in these areas. Three children were buried by a landslide in Saint Bernard, Southern Leyte. Two other people drowned in the same province. Power was also cut off in Saint Bernard and five other towns. Many towns in Eastern Samar and Northern Samar also reported flooding. Small landslides happened in Hinabangan, Samar and Tacloban. In Cebu City, a flight was canceled, and more landslides were reported.

More than 2,000 people had to leave their homes in the Caraga region because of the rains. A landslide in Monkayo, Compostela Valley caused one death, and three girls went missing there.

January 6 to 10: More Evacuations and Damage

On January 6, the cold front moved back to the Bicol region, bringing more rain. This led to about 8,200 people being evacuated from their homes in that area.

By January 6, several places were declared under a "state of calamity." This means the area is in a serious emergency. These places included Butuan, and the towns of Bunawan and San Francisco in Agusan del Sur, and Surigao del Sur. Seven more deaths were reported. The floods caused about 141 million Philippine pesos (about US$3.2 million) in damage to government buildings and roads in Caraga.

By January 7, conditions improved in Albay, and over 80% of the evacuated people could go home. Classes that were stopped on January 6 started again the next day, except for schools used as evacuation centers. Meanwhile, floods went down in Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley. However, the floods ruined the crops of about 2,100 farmers. The total damage to farms and buildings across the country was estimated at 183 million pesos (about US$4.1 million).

January 23 to February: Continuing Impact

By January 23, the number of people who had died from the floods reached 68. Another 26 people were still missing. The "wind convergence" also continued to cause more flooding. On January 26, heavy rain, brought by the northeast monsoon, fell on Cebu.

What People Did About It

Governor Salceda asked PAGASA, the weather agency, to name weather systems that cause big problems, even if they are not storms. This would help people understand the warnings better. The Secretary of Public Works and Highways, Rogelio Singson, agreed. He said PAGASA should have a way to classify not just typhoons but also very heavy rainfall. PAGASA had already put in place automatic weather stations and set up a system to warn communities early.

Some armed groups in the Philippines, like the New People's Army, were told by their leaders to help with relief efforts during the floods. This happened even though there had been a conflict between these groups and the government.

Images for kids

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  Much of the flooded areas are shown in green on this map. The green parts of the map get rain all year round.