Days of heavy rain and flood have left an estimated 600,000 people in the Philippines homeless and killed 20, officials say

Days of heavy rain and flood have left an estimated 600,000 people in the Philippines homeless and killed 20, officials say.

According to the state weather service, the capital Manila and the surrounding provinces received more than a month’s rain between August 18 and August 21 and seasonal monsoons submerged nearly half the capital in floodwaters.

Tropical Storm Trami, which struck China on Thursday after hovering off the northern Philippines earlier in the week, exacerbated the downpours.

The Philippine National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said 200,000 people were in temporary government-run shelters on Friday. The council added that 400,000 others were staying with friends or relatives and receiving food rations and other emergency aid.

Officials say although floods ebbed in Manila, the difficult situation in the central Luzon plains to the north is prolonged by pools of water and high tides in coastal areas.

“These are mainly farmers and fisher folk who still cannot return to their homes or resume work. We are still supplying their needs,” said civil defense chief for the region, Josefina Timoteo.

“These are low-lying regions and this happens every year. It is a way of life for many of them and the local governments are well-organized to provide relief,” Timoteo added.

Timoteo further said that most of those who have yet to come back to their homes are from the central Luzon region. More than 480 villages are still under floodwaters up to a meter (3.3 feet) deep in the area.

She noted that the evacuation centers, which are mostly schoolbuildings, are expected to start emptying next week.

The government says the floods inflicted 7.3 billion pesos ($2.2 billion) worth of damage to infrastructure and crops.