Philippines Flash Flood Photos: Hundreds Dead After Tropical Storm Brings Flash Floods, Landslides

The death toll continues to rise as Philippines residents attempt to recover from the effects of tropical storm Washi (known as Sendong in the Philippines) that wreaked damage and devastation as it passed over the islands Friday night.

(Scroll down for photos.)

More than 400 residents have been pronounced dead and hundreds are missing after flash floods and landslides caused by heavy rains swept through the area at about 2:30 a.m.

Officials say most people died from drowning, Bloomberg reports.

The government deployed about 20,000 soldiers to help with recovery efforts in cities on the north coast of the island of Mindanao, according to the AFP. Thousands of residents have been displaced by the storm.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton offered the country's condolences to those affected by the storm.

"The U.S. government stands ready to assist Philippine authorities as they respond to this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected," she said in a statement.

WARNING: Some photos contain graphic content that may not be suitable for all audiences.

Comments

[james cavallo-king]

01:01 AM on 12/24/2011

God bless all Phillipinos and ...USA give their World War 11 veterans the money they fought for...shame...... they fought and shed their blood sacrificed their lives and still have not received their pay...and they were in the UnIted States Army..many were medal winners...no pay....most are in their 80/90.s///are we waitnig for them to all die out....??....

[samanthadoors]

11:18 PM on 01/05/2012

I really appreciate every good thing you said to my fellow Filipino men. I am grateful to read such wonderful words from you. thank you.

Joyce@
Philippines Lifestyle
http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/

[james cavallo-king]

12:52 AM on 12/24/2011

Phillipinos are some of the hardest workers in the world....kind and loving and very patient.......some have college degrees and if need be they will clean toilets to make a living.......we may be a first world country and the Phillipines a third world country but we are last in families .....love...and these poor people are first in family loyalty and love of family...if they have 4th and 5th cousins they help them and treat them like brothers and siters..here in USA we have broken homes and brothers and sisters who have not talked to each other in years.......money seems to corrupt people..they may be poor but they are happy and kind

[james cavallo-king]

12:15 AM on 12/24/2011

please pray for these unfortunate people...how sad to lose loved ones and children in such a horrible tragedy....USArrny verterans of world war 11 who were citizens of Philliopines are still waiting for their Pay......most are in their 80's and 90s.......Please Phillipino people pray to God Almighty in the name of Jesus Christ ..do not pray to false gods and saintsm or follow the Roman Catholic anti-christ cult...they cannot be trusted with the truth of the bible, nor can they be trusted with little kids..how can you trust them with your money.....ask any phillipino .....while the poor were looking for food the priests and nuns had loaded refrigerators padlocked so poor could not get in........repent and be born again.....born again Christians please pray for these poor people in their time of need and help in anyway you can.....make sure your help goes to the right people...we are to love our neighbors..these are our distant neighbors.....don't lie to them and tell the the Roman Catholic church is Chtistian ....God hate idols and idolatry....and eating blood and the sacrifice of the mass....Christ died once and for all HE is Risen in the flesh....

[segami]

07:14 PM on 12/18/2011

So much devastation, my heart goes out to all the people impacted.

[Spanish Property]

06:29 PM on 12/18/2011

This is terrible, our hearts go out to all those in the Philippine­s

Mark

http://www­.aspanishp­roperty.co­m

[larryandy]

03:54 PM on 12/18/2011

[e-mail] Louie is a member of the Interfaith community that is solely dedicated to the people. [e-mail] is a media man that has information on contacts that I reach out to, another contact to ask who and what is the best way to communicate and offer any help. So far do not have the contact info on Congressman Erico Aumentado. When we were able to send medical and shool supplies in the past he took personal responsiblity to assure best delivery and service to the people. He also made several trips here to meet with politicians, universities, relgious groups to secure care and concern with supplies and medical programs for his people.

[juliemondragon]

02:30 AM on 12/19/2011

thank you larry for proactively posting these! thanks!

[juliemondragon]

03:31 PM on 12/18/2011

you may send help.. please follow this link,, thank you..

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=331893303490128&set=a.178908005455326.44646.149782198367907&type=1&theater

[larryandy]

03:59 PM on 12/18/2011

Would like to know a lot more of this organization, who, what and where. How funds delivered, to whom, how aid is handled and by whom. If legitimate surely a great way to offer assistance. [e-mail]

[juliemondragon]

02:03 AM on 12/19/2011

i would really like to give u info as much as i can, however, i am no longer living in that region.. i would tell you this is legit, the organizers (xavier university) which is one of the prominent school in that region..

http://tabangsendong.xu.edu.ph/sendong/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=1&Itemid=18

if still in doubt u could send your help through this:

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/242108/news/nation/gma-kapuso-foundation-appeals-for-donations-for-sendong-victims

This is from GMA Network, they are the GMA Kapuso Foundation, they have helped so many people here, they are one of the top television and broadcasting network in the Philippines. They have been in the industry for so long. They have been in the industry for more than 50 years. You can check out their website (http://www.gmanetwork.com/)

http://www.kapusofoundation.com/

Please be advised that I am not part of any of this organization, I am just simply posting this. Trust me these people will surely use your donations to help these people. They could help more than our government could.

[juliemondragon]

02:23 PM on 12/18/2011

my heart pour for my fellow filipinos.. i wish i could help them, however, i was afraid that my help would not reach these people.. i know my government so much that it makes me sick.. just like typhoon ketsana, where other countries gave everything that they could, but the government employees hid it, and gave out so little.. (people are still questioning where the hell did the relief goods go..)

really sad..

[nbj5215]

02:12 PM on 12/18/2011

Many of these fine people had little and lost everything . Their most precious loss is their family members, all else can be replaced. Philippine families have some of the strongest bonds and enduring respect for their elders. My prayers go out to them.

[larryandy]

03:25 PM on 12/18/2011

Thank you, the most revealing and accurate comment, nothing disparging, Yes, they are a lovely people, they feel mostly as part of America, of the 3000 islands, they have mulitple dialects but are bound by a common lanugage of English. We had the control of the Philipines for 100 years, what did we leave them, language, constitution but we did not leave factories or industry that was theirs. We ran business but did not instill confidence as a whole to do their own, always subjected to another. The Filipino sacrificed their lives for America during WWII, tens of thousands massacured for standing up for America, protecting American lives, etc. Try to remember them as well, keep in prayers but with a prayer, think of how to help. They don't need our forced indoctrination but friendship, send books, exchange students and professors. Used medical equipment that is obsolete here would be a GOD send to them. So much that would cost us nothing. Why is the immigration policy so horrific to the filipino? I have friends with farms wanted to bring in on the H21A farm workers visa workers insetead of only Latino, the Filipino offers more trustworthy workers that won't disappear after the first paycheck, speak English and love this country. NOT A SINGLE FILIPINO WAS ACCEPTED, thousands of dollars spent to ty and not one approved, had to hire from Mexico and within the fist month, all were gone, ran off to be lost in the society of Illegals.

[lilliemb]

10:39 AM on 12/18/2011

My heart hurts for all of these people, God bless you all.

[readnu0711]

09:22 AM on 12/18/2011

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton offered the country's condolences to those affected by the storm.

"The U.S. government stands ready to assist Philippine authorities as they respond to this tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected," she said in a statement, hurrying to get rid of the reporters as her six course dinner was getting cold and she was late to her stylist and minicure appointment..

[Dominick Roffo]

09:47 AM on 12/18/2011

Really??? Politicizing a tragedy like this??? You just can't put your hate aside can you??

[intolleft]

10:28 AM on 12/18/2011

So right. Its the same thing the right did with when Gabby Giffords was shot. Oh wait....

[Hitchslap2]

01:24 PM on 12/18/2011

The right is simply afraid of the fact that Obama will either win another four years, or Ron Paul will surge to the front of the pack and rightfully win the Presidency, that they're looking for any opportunity to express their panic. Herein lies this poor dolt's sad attempt at humor in the face of real tragedy.

[doonooch]

10:21 AM on 12/18/2011

must you?

[readnu0711]

01:09 PM on 12/18/2011

They took up a special offering at church for the Phillipines and I donated, which I am sure you did also, as a concrete commitment to help these people. I am sure that ultimately, we will be judged by our own actions, instead of our words. That is the message that I was trying to convey. I was not trying to say anything about the people that are trying to cope with an immense personal tragedy, and deserve our monetary help and not just our plattudes at this time..

[Louie Benson Memorial]

09:10 AM on 12/18/2011

i feel for these people and my wife and i pray for them , but when people try to blame these tragedies on green house gases or cutting the trees down or anything other than it is a bad place to live , it just makes me madd , the same thing happens every year in this part of the world , why do they not move up in elevation ?

[pkatcher]

12:06 PM on 12/18/2011

clear cutting destroys the roots that HOLD the soil.....creating the perfect situatuion for floods BTW..READ the article this area does not get floods normally!

[Hitchslap2]

01:26 PM on 12/18/2011

Floods happen when a massive amount of water pours into an area suddenly and rapidly. Root systems are hardly relevant to the way this tragedy unfolded.

[itsmary a]

04:40 PM on 12/18/2011

It is the northern and eastern part of the Philippines that always gets hit by typhoons. It is the first time that we've ever been hit here in the southern part, that is why this has all been a shock and is extremely surreal even for us. And not all of the people who have been affected live in low-lying areas. A good part of two major cities were.

[caroleann926]

07:28 AM on 12/18/2011

So sad. My condolences to the survivors and wishing good luck in locating their loved ones and rebuilding their homes. What a terrible tragedy for all.

[athiesttoo]

06:59 AM on 12/18/2011

according to Reuters it's up to 650 with possibly 800 missing. 70% of homes in one area between 2 rivers were wiped out.These poor folks never stood a chance.

[deppers]

06:16 AM on 12/18/2011

Mothers holding their children who did not make it. The worse pain in the world. God give them all strength