Devastation

The National and local governments had been taking precautionary and preparatory measures as a way to cope with the forecast monster howler heading to central Philippines. But Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) displayed a terrible and terrifying strength; we are only beginning to see the utter devastation it has wrought. What was described by Jeff Masters of the US commercial weather service Weather Underground as “the fourth strongest tropical cyclone in world history” and “the strongest tropical cyclone on record to make landfall” effectively brought the region to its knees.

The people of the battered provinces, many of them still picking up the pieces after earlier disasters that included a 7.2-magnitude earthquake, are in desperate need of help. Their circumstances—essentially lacking food, water and shelter—are made much worse by downed power and communication lines, broken bridges and destroyed airports, and roads blocked by fallen trees, power posts, and all manner of debris. It behooves those among us who are not in similar dire straits to lend a literal or figurative hand to ease their suffering.

The Aquino administration is faced not only with a daunting rescue-relief-rehabilitation task but also with an apparent breakdown of law and order in certain devastated areas. Reports of looting, while not unexpected in a disaster of such proportions, are distressing.

It is fortunate that Yolanda’s projected strength was met by unprecedented preparations. It is said that the early evacuation of residents from risky areas helped to keep the casualty count from leaping. The national and local governments appear to have learned from experience. It is hoped that the announced prepositioning of relief goods will serve its good purpose—but first the clearing of blocked roads is imperative. “Special attention is being given to areas that have been isolated from town centers in the aftermath of the typhoon,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma has been quoted as saying in the course of announcing President Aquino’s order of “continuous search and rescue” operations to ensure all family members are accounted for.

It is hoped that the experience of Yolanda will serve to instruct the authorities on the kind of thinking needed in the face of natural disasters. Preparations for typhoons and other weather disturbances should now be automatic because we can see them coming through the tracking of Pagasa and Project NOAH (Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards). Last March, the latest Doppler radar system was put up in Zamboanga, ensuring that no typhoon will approach the country undetected. The Doppler radar system will help authorities predict the direction, impact and intensity of weather disturbances approaching the country, “and will make us better prepared,” Pagasa director Nathaniel Servando said.

Project NOAH is credited with saving many lives last August when its on-time warnings on severe weather and its monitoring of river systems for early warning on floods resulted in a fatality count of zero in the aftermath of the “habagat” (southwest monsoon) in flood-prone Marikina City. Paul Sison, the city’s public information officer, said Project NOAH gave the local government “the information to decide judiciously.” It continues to save lives today as it is involved in the disaster planning and relief operations of local government units nationwide.

The widespread cooperation of civilians should also be raised as a significant factor in keeping the casualty count low in certain provinces in Yolanda’s path. While many residents in danger zones used to ignore evacuation orders and wound up trapped or killed by floods, they now heeded such orders and other safety requirements. (Among other provinces, Albay has shown the way in preparedness. Before Typhoon “Pablo”—international name: Bopha—roared in in 2012, Gov. Joey Salceda ordered a preemptive evacuation as well as advanced distribution of relief goods. The casualty count was drastically reduced.)

As we breathe, we hope. When the debris is cleared and the damage assessed, Yolanda will be remembered not only for its savagery but also for the lessons it dealt. It remains to be seen just how effective the preparations were, but it’s nonetheless significant that the national and local governments are doing more than just hunkering down and waiting for the storm—and storm surges—to pass.