Extreme RP Flooding Captured Via Tech

So a big typhoon named Ketsana has hit the northern part of the Philippines, stranding thousands within the capital Metro Manila, and forcing the government to declare a “state of calamity” for at least 26 different areas.

And while families are forced to retreat to the roof to avoid the rising water, and while power and infrastructure failure accompany the typhoon’s destruction, at least one Filipino has found the time and resources to capture the flooding up-close—and share it with the rest of the world online.

Here are those snapshots below, with the low quality of the cell phone camera made obvious by the graininess, so apologies for that, dear readers:

Amazingly, despite water rushing in, the resident’s house still enjoyed power—and most likely internet access. Not everyone was that lucky however. It seems someone set up a Google spreadsheet for people in the Philippines to post calls for help; apparently, imperiled residents would text their loved ones, who would then pass the message on by posting it on the Google Doc.

You’ve also got a celebrity saving stranded people with his surfboard, a mall chain converting its various branches into shelters, and video footage of a pedestrian underpass completely submerged. It’s clear that, even as some people are literally fighting for their lives, word is being passed around through technology, whether through cell phones, Twitter, or the internet in general.