What began as hours of relentless monsoon rain quickly turned into a nightmare for thousands of families in Davao City after floodwaters surged with terrifying speed, swallowing entire communities and forcing desperate residents to flee for their lives.
The southwest monsoon unleashed widespread flooding Friday night, leaving several low-lying villages submerged after the Talomo River burst its banks. Residents described scenes of panic as water levels climbed from waist-deep to nearly rooftop height in just a matter of hours.
Among the hardest-hit areas were Los Amigos, Matina, Bangkal, and Talomo Proper, where rescue teams scrambled to evacuate trapped families while many watched helplessly as their homes disappeared beneath muddy floodwaters.
For 77-year-old Magdalena Suarez of Teachers Village in Barangay Talomo, the disaster was unlike anything she had experienced before.
She recalled surviving the devastating floods in 2018, when waters reached neck level. But Friday night’s deluge proved far worse.
The flood, she said, rose above people’s heads shortly after 7 p.m., catching residents completely off guard and leaving little time to save belongings.
“It was so sudden. It was traumatizing,” she said in an interview with local radio.
Suarez also appealed for immediate assistance, saying many families lost household possessions and were left with nothing after the flood swept through their neighborhood.
The crisis also sparked emotional pleas across social media.
Veteran Davao-based columnist Margarita Valle posted a desperate cry for help as floodwaters continued to rise.
“Help!” she wrote, later adding that the flooding in Talomo remained above head level and that affected communities urgently needed rescue and assistance.
The Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) confirmed that the overflowing Talomo River triggered the widespread inundation, forcing authorities to activate evacuation operations and transfer residents to temporary shelters.
Emergency responders conducted rescue missions in several flooded communities after some families became trapped inside their homes as water levels climbed rapidly.
While floodwaters had started to recede in some parts of the city by late Friday, authorities said portions of the Talomo and Matina rivers remained at critical levels, prompting evacuation centers to stay operational as a precaution.
As of Saturday morning, officials had yet to release the number of displaced families or report any confirmed casualties.
Authorities continue to monitor river levels and weather conditions as cleanup and relief efforts begin for communities left reeling by one of Davao City’s worst flooding incidents in recent years.