Storm Trami Lashing Over Philippines, Now on Its 3rd Day, Still Far Off from 2009’s Fatal Typhoon Ketsana (PHOTOS)

Tropical storm Maring (international name: Trami) may already be pressing the panic buttons of most residents in the Philippine capital of Metro Manila, but state weather forecasters continued to pacify the Filipino populace that the rains it had dumped was still far off compared from those dumped by the fatal 2009 typhoon Ondoy (international name: Ketsana).

Nathaniel Cruz, a meteorologist, in analyzing figures released by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said that the enhanced monsoon rainfall covering the 24 hours as of August 19, 8 a.m. reached only a mere 174 mm, representing just a quarter versus typhoon Ketsana.

On September 2009, Ketsana dumped a total of 455 mm amount of rainfall on more than 30 areas in Luzon, including Metro Manila. It has been recorded as one of the top 20 most rainiest typhoons to strike the Philippines. In just 6 hours from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on September 26, it had dumped 341.3 mm of rain and then an additional 83 mm for another 3 hours amounting to 424 mm in just about 9 hours. The remaining 31 mm was recorded as light rain showers during the night before the epic flood that gutted the Philippine capital.

Mr Cruz further said that the exact latest figures, compared from the earlier rainfall recorded from the Habagat rains of 2012, was only a rough half representation.

"Ang normal rainfall sa isang buwan ng Agosto sa Science Garden (measuring center) ay 504 mm (The normal amount of rainfall for an entire month of August at the Science Garden measuring center is 504 mm)," Mr Cruz explained.

Read more: Slideshow Floods Inundate Philippine Capital, Nearby Provinces (PHOTOS)

Mr Cruz surmised it is not the amount of rainfall that is making the Philippine capital of Metro Manila flooded but people's lack of discipline towards on the proper management of their trash, plus the clogged waterways and ineffective drainage systems.

All of those contributed to the flooding despite the comparatively low amount of rainfall, he told local media outlet GMA News.

As of Tuesday, August 20, the combined effects of tropical storm Maring (international codename: Trami) and the southwest monsoon have displaced more than 600,000 people, with the death toll hitting 7.

Meantime, the Metro Manila Development Authority has released the following flood measurements.

FLOOD MEASUREMENTS: pic.twitter.com/VmCLnnBSad (PATV) - PASSABLE ALL TYPES VEHICLES, (NPLV) - NOT PASSABLE (cont) http://t.co/fG8P3dqOy4
— Official MMDA (@MMDA) August 20, 2013