05 November, 1991
TODAY IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY
Tropical Storm Thelma causes severe and massive floods in the Philippines, killing nearly 3,000 people. It is the second major disaster of the year for the island nation, as it comes on the heels of the violent June 12 eruption of Mount Pinatubo.
The storm dumped tremendous amounts of rain on the tiny islands (Leyte, Samar and Negros) and causing deadly flooding. Caught unprepared, fifty-three people were killed on Negros. In the city of Ormoc, hundreds of people were washed away by a flash flood. Even worse were the huge mudslides that buried hundreds of people in small villages all over the island. In 1998, President Joseph Estrada made November 5 a memorial day for the victims of this disaster.
(Ref: history.org; Photo by Ernie Sarmiento)
