When typhoon Ondoy struck on September 26 and 27, 2009, our area in our subdivision got flooded, 6-feet deep in the street in front of our house and waist-deep inside our house. Below is a list of the things that were submerged in flood water. Some of them were destroyed and thrown but some of them were fixed and are still usable, thank God.
*Single bed mattress and bed box - This was Jed's bed which also used to be my bed when I was still single. The mattress and its bedbox were both soaked in flood that we did not bother cleaning it. We dried it for a while and eventually junked it. We gave it away to people who asked for it.
*Queen-sized Uratex memory foam - This is what my wife and I sleep on. We saved this because it cost so much. It is a special kind of foam from Uratex, not a mattress, and it cost us more than P14,000 and is relatively new. We washed it and dried it under the sun and tonight will be the third night we'll be sleeping on it again.
*Bedroom door - This door to our master's bedroom swelled because of the flood. Now, it's still expanded so our bedroom door can not be closed at the moment. I don't know what to do with it's swelling, so if anyone has a suggestion of what to do with it to make it go back to it4 unexpanded form, I would really appreciate it.
*Nissan California with 1.5-liter engine - Our car was submerged and got three quarters of its height covered with water. The third day after the flood water subsided, a close friend of Jennie lent us her vehicle and I was able to tow our car and bring it to the repair shop. I was advised not to try and start the car and a week after the typhoon, it was running again thanks to its loyal mechanic who drained its fuel tank. He also drained the engine's oil and flushed the mud and water out of the engine using used engine oil. He did a full tune up and put unused oil, cleaned the carburetor and put new gear oil for the necessary parts. When the car started, he had it engine washed and then I brought it to the auto electrical shop and had its wiring serviced. I am thankful that my car is old and it doesn't have a computer box, otherwise it would have cost us much more to get it running again. I personally cleaned our car's interior (carpet, dashboard, seats, etc.) to save on expenses. I have been using our car now for over a week but we still need to get the car leak tested before having it recarpeted and having its sidings replaced.
*Sofa set - Since our set was newly reupholstered, we also wanted to keep it. We washed it and let it dry and it's still usable.
*CDs and DVDs - At first, I just wanted to throw all of these out. But my wife patiently had them washed and dried. We threw the cases but bought some CD cases so we can organize them and to save space.
*7 cubic feet Kelvinator refrigerator - As I was trying to save electric and electronic appliances inside our flooded house while the flood water was rising, this refrigerator of ours suddenly floated and fell on its back. With the adrenaline rush, I was able to carry it right away and settle it on four dining seats. About one-fourth of its height was submerged but miraculously, after it dried up and after we cleaned it, our refrigerator still worked fine.
*Console table - This was where many of our electronic appliances (DVD player, JVC compnent, wireless router, telephone, modem, surge protector, AVR) were. Since it was made of compact wood, we junked it right away since it wasn't usable anymore. I will need to play carpenter soon to design and make a replacement for this.
*DVD player - This was the only electronic appliance on the console table I wasn't able to salvage. It was junked, too. I just had to remove a CD inside which Jed uses for his home school.
*Books - The books we really didn't use anymore, we threw them but most were put under the sun to dry and we still plan to keep them.
*Dresser - This dresser was also made of compact wood but miraculously, it's still usable. We just cleaned it and let it dry for a while.
*Car stereo and speakers - These items were not saved - all junked now after having the car stereo checked at the electronics repair shop. It would cost as much as buying a new one to have it repaired.
*Clothes - Most of our clothes were flooded but we had it washed at the laundry shop because our washing machine also got hit by the flood.
*Our son’s home school PACES - These, we had to dry them and use them even though they stink already because they cost so much. These were our son's one year worth of pre-school PACES. There were some PACES we couldn't find anymore so we re-ordered them.
*Whirlpool fully automatic washing machine 7.5-kilo capacity - Two days after the flood waters went down, we tested this and it did not work. We had it serviced and thankfully, when the technician tested it, everything was working like it used to.
*La Germania oven and stove - This kitchen appliance still works. It just took a few days and trials for the water to be removed from the oven nozzles but it still worked perfectly.
*Flat iron and ironing board - These we were not able to save, too. We are still waiting to get a replacement.
We are so grateful to those who helped us get back on our feet. We thank the following for their heroic acts:
*Our next door neighbor who let our whole family stay with them for two nights. Thanks for sharing your house, food and other resources with us.
*Pastor Alvin and Diane who were the first ones who visited us after the flood - thanks for offering a ride, giving us clothes and towels we could use while all of our clothes were still in the laundry shop and also for bringing us drinking water while the water filters in our house weren't usable yet.
*Bro. Jules and Jackie for letting us charge our cellular phones and laptops at your house.
*Lelet for coming over to our house and offering to charge our cellular phones at your house and for lending your car so we could run some errands and so we could tow our car to the auto repair shop.
*Frances for visiting us in spite of the traffic and for bringing us new under clothes.
*Wesley, Rochelle and Gina for keeping in touch even though we were miles apart. Thanks for sending monetary gifts which helped us get by after the disaster - your gifts lifted a great burden for us.
*Ric and Clarissa for visiting us a few days after the flooding
*Pastor Lance, Melanie and the rest of the SBC family for helping others and also helping us - the relief goods and other stuff you gave us.
*To all our friends, church mates, church members who prayed for us and expressed their sympathies.
*Most of all, to You, O, God for being merciful to us.
*Single bed mattress and bed box - This was Jed's bed which also used to be my bed when I was still single. The mattress and its bedbox were both soaked in flood that we did not bother cleaning it. We dried it for a while and eventually junked it. We gave it away to people who asked for it.
*Queen-sized Uratex memory foam - This is what my wife and I sleep on. We saved this because it cost so much. It is a special kind of foam from Uratex, not a mattress, and it cost us more than P14,000 and is relatively new. We washed it and dried it under the sun and tonight will be the third night we'll be sleeping on it again.
*Bedroom door - This door to our master's bedroom swelled because of the flood. Now, it's still expanded so our bedroom door can not be closed at the moment. I don't know what to do with it's swelling, so if anyone has a suggestion of what to do with it to make it go back to it4 unexpanded form, I would really appreciate it.
*Nissan California with 1.5-liter engine - Our car was submerged and got three quarters of its height covered with water. The third day after the flood water subsided, a close friend of Jennie lent us her vehicle and I was able to tow our car and bring it to the repair shop. I was advised not to try and start the car and a week after the typhoon, it was running again thanks to its loyal mechanic who drained its fuel tank. He also drained the engine's oil and flushed the mud and water out of the engine using used engine oil. He did a full tune up and put unused oil, cleaned the carburetor and put new gear oil for the necessary parts. When the car started, he had it engine washed and then I brought it to the auto electrical shop and had its wiring serviced. I am thankful that my car is old and it doesn't have a computer box, otherwise it would have cost us much more to get it running again. I personally cleaned our car's interior (carpet, dashboard, seats, etc.) to save on expenses. I have been using our car now for over a week but we still need to get the car leak tested before having it recarpeted and having its sidings replaced.
*Sofa set - Since our set was newly reupholstered, we also wanted to keep it. We washed it and let it dry and it's still usable.
*CDs and DVDs - At first, I just wanted to throw all of these out. But my wife patiently had them washed and dried. We threw the cases but bought some CD cases so we can organize them and to save space.
*7 cubic feet Kelvinator refrigerator - As I was trying to save electric and electronic appliances inside our flooded house while the flood water was rising, this refrigerator of ours suddenly floated and fell on its back. With the adrenaline rush, I was able to carry it right away and settle it on four dining seats. About one-fourth of its height was submerged but miraculously, after it dried up and after we cleaned it, our refrigerator still worked fine.
*Console table - This was where many of our electronic appliances (DVD player, JVC compnent, wireless router, telephone, modem, surge protector, AVR) were. Since it was made of compact wood, we junked it right away since it wasn't usable anymore. I will need to play carpenter soon to design and make a replacement for this.
*DVD player - This was the only electronic appliance on the console table I wasn't able to salvage. It was junked, too. I just had to remove a CD inside which Jed uses for his home school.
*Books - The books we really didn't use anymore, we threw them but most were put under the sun to dry and we still plan to keep them.
*Dresser - This dresser was also made of compact wood but miraculously, it's still usable. We just cleaned it and let it dry for a while.
*Car stereo and speakers - These items were not saved - all junked now after having the car stereo checked at the electronics repair shop. It would cost as much as buying a new one to have it repaired.
*Clothes - Most of our clothes were flooded but we had it washed at the laundry shop because our washing machine also got hit by the flood.
*Our son’s home school PACES - These, we had to dry them and use them even though they stink already because they cost so much. These were our son's one year worth of pre-school PACES. There were some PACES we couldn't find anymore so we re-ordered them.
*Whirlpool fully automatic washing machine 7.5-kilo capacity - Two days after the flood waters went down, we tested this and it did not work. We had it serviced and thankfully, when the technician tested it, everything was working like it used to.
*La Germania oven and stove - This kitchen appliance still works. It just took a few days and trials for the water to be removed from the oven nozzles but it still worked perfectly.
*Flat iron and ironing board - These we were not able to save, too. We are still waiting to get a replacement.
We are so grateful to those who helped us get back on our feet. We thank the following for their heroic acts:
*Our next door neighbor who let our whole family stay with them for two nights. Thanks for sharing your house, food and other resources with us.
*Pastor Alvin and Diane who were the first ones who visited us after the flood - thanks for offering a ride, giving us clothes and towels we could use while all of our clothes were still in the laundry shop and also for bringing us drinking water while the water filters in our house weren't usable yet.
*Bro. Jules and Jackie for letting us charge our cellular phones and laptops at your house.
*Lelet for coming over to our house and offering to charge our cellular phones at your house and for lending your car so we could run some errands and so we could tow our car to the auto repair shop.
*Frances for visiting us in spite of the traffic and for bringing us new under clothes.
*Wesley, Rochelle and Gina for keeping in touch even though we were miles apart. Thanks for sending monetary gifts which helped us get by after the disaster - your gifts lifted a great burden for us.
*Ric and Clarissa for visiting us a few days after the flooding
*Pastor Lance, Melanie and the rest of the SBC family for helping others and also helping us - the relief goods and other stuff you gave us.
*To all our friends, church mates, church members who prayed for us and expressed their sympathies.
*Most of all, to You, O, God for being merciful to us.
"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. 23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23
Posts
1 comments:
hi, nice to hear you have recovered and slowly going back to normal life again. galing mo pre, nabuhat mo yung ref. anyway, thank God all of you are safe and you were able to save a lot from your stuff.
Post a Comment