SEATTLE -- A man who grew up in Shoreline is among those dealing with a tropical storm and subsequent floods in the northern Philippines that have killed at least 284 there.

KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reporter Chris Legeros was able to reach Kuya Marc Miranda after several hours, but the signal from Miranda's cell phone was so bad that Legeros was unable to understand what the man was saying.

Miranda later e-mailed KIRO from a mall and said he's been without power and Internet access at his home for more than 77 hours.

Miranda, who grew up in Shoreline and graduated from Shorecrest High School, compared the disaster caused by tropical storm Ketsana to Hurricane Katrina.

Miranda said his family had to move up from the first floor to the second floor to escape the floodwaters.

He said the water reached the mattress of his bed, he's lost nearly half of his belongings and has taken in five families, all living on the second floor of his home.

Miranda said he is powering a small fan with batteries and is using a solar charger for his cell phone.

Legeros said he will continue trying Miranda by phone, but the man said phone service is very bad and that he had trouble trying to reach others by HAM radio as well.

Nearly two million people in the Philippines had water gush into their homes.