Typhoon Cosme Wreaks Havoc in Urdaneta

Saturday afternoon.

We were just going about our regular weekly grocery shopping when we noticed that everyone was in a hurry. It was only 6:00pm but many of the mall’s stores were already closed or were in the process of doing so. At the cashier, we noticed that they were a bit jittery and moved faster than usual.

Sure we knew that a typhoon was coming but we didn’t know the exact time it touches down on Urdaneta.

On the way home, the bus and jeepney stops were full of people trying to get home before the big pour. Already, one can hear the wind starting to howl.

By the time we arrived home, the power was already out and a slight drizzle was being smashed against the roof by the wind that is steadily picking up. By 8:00pm, the howling had increased and the unclosed windows were banging on the sills. Loud splitting crackles could be heard as unsecured galvanized roofs were being torn from houses. Occasionally a neighbor could be heard yelling as he asks for someone to open the door.

Exhausted as we were, we didn’t sleep much, keeping vigil on the typhoon, just in case something gory happens.

The winds started dying down by midnight and were replaced by an angry downpour that continued until around 4:00 am. By then little trickles of water on the wall from the ceiling had flooded the master’s bedroom on the second floor of the townhouse where we live. It was disappointing that a structure barely 3 years old would have such issues. It was 6:00 am when we woke up to find that the typhoon had already left.

Urdaneta was hit directly by typhoon Cosme at signal number 3.

Homes along the Macalong riverbank suffered the same fate like the ones in these pictures.