It’s hard to continue with the rest of my Iceland posts when Manila is under siege from the rain.

Apocalyptic panorama by Adrian Dungo, via Facebook

With 172 mm of actual rainfall and no letup seen until Thursday, home is the focus of my thoughts and prayers. My social media feeds are filled with photos of flooded streets, calls for rescue, and stories that seem all too familiar. (Have we really learned nothing from Ondoy? It seems prediction systems are better and response times are faster now, but not by much.) It doesn’t seem appropriate to be all chipper and colorful on the blogosphere while all this is happening—much like it seems inconsiderate to order in for food and send the poor delivery boys out in this madness! People, please.

I may be far away but the power of social media makes this feel immediate. While I’m thankful my family and close friends are safe and dry, there are many thousands who are not. If you’re back home, here’s how to help. And if you’re back home, I’m thinking of you. Please stay safe and take care.

I will continue with the last of the Iceland posts (Reykjavik and the Blue Lagoon) on Thursday. Till then, please say a prayer for Manila.