Torrential rains inundated the northern Philippines in early August 2012. The Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council stated that monsoon rains enhanced by Typhoon Haikui led to flooding. By August 7, flood waters were neck deep in parts of the capital city of Manila. By August 11, the death toll stood at 65, The Philippine Star reported. More than 600,000 residents had been displaced, and crops and fisheries had sustained severe losses.
This map shows rainfall totals in the Philippines and the surrounding region from July 25 to August 9, 2012. The heaviest rainfall—more than 900 millimeters (35 inches)—appears in dark blue. The lightest rainfall—less than 100 millimeters (4 inches)—appears in light green. Trace amounts of rain appear in yellow. The heaviest rainfall is concentrated immediately west of the northern Philippines, and some of the very heavy rain extends into Manila.
This image is based on data from the Multisatellite Precipitation Analysis produced at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, which estimates rainfall by combining measurements from many satellites and calibrating them using rainfall measurements from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) satellite. Because this image is an estimate of the rainfall recorded over a very large area when the satellites are overhead, it may miss pockets of heavy rain in smaller areas, or short periods of more or less intense rain. As a result, local rainfall totals measured from the ground may differ from the estimates shown here.
The monsoon floods struck shortly after Typhoon Saola claimed dozens of lives in the Philippines. On August 10, 2012, authorities reported that rescue operations for the latest round of flooding continued through the Manila metropolitan area. Meanwhile, forecasters warned that more rain could fall on the northern Philippines over the coming days.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen, using data from the TRMM Science Data and Information System at Goddard Space Flight Center. Caption by Michon Scott.
