Fire Adds to Flood Victims' Woes

[Louisiana1976]

All Maximo Merioles Jr. could think about were his two young children. As the floodwaters that had swamped his neighborhood came close to submerging him, he grabbed his two kids, ages 12 and 10, and swam toward another house, clambered up to the third floor, jumped between roofs and climbed down a wall to safety across the street.

Mr. Merioles’s heart sank Saturday as he watched not just the flood but a raging fire eat up most of the houses in Tatalon, a slum area in Quezon City, one of the cities that comprise Greater Manila.

As residents dealt with the calamity, the government was facing criticism on two fronts: Did it provide enough warning before the floods, and was it doing enough to help people recover?

<snip>

In Tatalon, unlike the other areas that were ravaged by Tropical Storm Ketsana, what the flood did not destroy, the fire did. Seven residents died in Tatalon, officials said.

Mr. Merioles and the others interviewed in his neighborhood said electrical power remained in their area even as the floodwaters were reaching above four feet high. No one knows exactly how the fire started. “Either you die from the fire or from the flood,” said Mr. Merioles, a stocky electronics repairman.

<snip>

more...http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/world/asia/29philip.html

[ensho]

1. floods and fire destroying homes - world wide

along with storm winds and hail