Flooding In Philippines Forces 400,000 To Evacuate; 16 Deaths Reported

NPR | By Mark Memmott

Published August 8, 2012 at 8:30 AM EDT

A man paddled an improvised raft along a flooded street in suburban Manila earlier today.

The scope of the flooding in Manila and other parts of the Philippines due to torrential rains in recent days is daunting.

According to the country's disaster response agency:

-- 1.2 million people are in affected areas.

-- Nearly 400,000 have fled to evacuation centers or homes of friends or relatives.

-- At least 16 deaths have been attributed to flooding or landslides.

The BBC adds that "soldiers and rescuers are using rubber boats to reach people stranded in their homes, but some are refusing to leave amid fears of looting." Manila, officials say, is a "waterworld."

Disaster officials are hoping that, as predicted, the rains will weaken somewhat today and Thursday. But they're still warning that "light to moderate rains" are likely in coming days and that the threat of flashfloods in low-lying areas will continue.