History Of Disaster In The Philippines.docx

Jovanne M. Cañones 1.

Preparedness

History of disaster in the Philippines- Philippines has suffered from an inexhaustible number of deadly typhoons, earthquakes, volcano eruptions and other natural disasters. This is due to its location along the Ring of Fire, or typhoon belt – a large Pacific Ocean region where many of Earth’s volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur. The Philippines is in fact the country most exposed to tropical storms in the world. Violent tropical storms, such as the latest Haiyan typhoon, can generate 10 times as much energy as the Hiroshima atomic bomb. Here is a list of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, typhoons, cyclones and other natural disasters the Philippines has had to cope with during the past decade - leaving thousands of people dead and the country's infrastructure and economy in tatters.  Tropical Depression Winnie, November2004 Although Winnie is only considered a weak tropical cyclone and is rather referred to as “Tropical Depression,” the storm killed 842 people in the Philippines, while 751 went missing. The damage caused by the storm, which hit the Philippines at the end of November, 2004, has been estimated at 679 million Philippine pesos (11.8 million euros, $ 15.8 million). Only shortly after Winnie devastated the country, the Philippines were struck by an even more powerful tropical cyclone called “Nanmadol” which killed another 70 people.

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Guinsaugon landslide, February 2006

The village of Guinsaugon, on the southern part of Leyte island, was buried when an entire mountainside collapsed on 17 February, 2006 – 1,126 people were killed in the disaster. A school, along with 500 homes were wiped out when a rapid flow of mud made its way down the mountain slope. The disaster occurred after torrential rains of up to 200 centimeters (78 inches) dumped down on the region within 10 days. Locals blame deforestation, caused by illegal logging, to be a contributing factor in the disaster.  Cyclone

Durian,

November

2006

On November 25, 2006, an intense tropical cyclone called “Durian” hit the Philippines, blowing away houses, uprooting trees and taking the lives of at least 720 people. Due to heavy rainfall, Legazpi City had to fight widespread flooding while mudslides from the Mayon Volcano buried many villages, causing another 800 to 1,000 casualties.

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Typhoon Fengshen, June 2008

Typhoon Fengshen, also referred to as typhoon “Frank”, created havoc in the Philippines from June 20 to June 23, 2008, killing at least 557 people. It affected more than 99,600 families all over the Philippines, damaging more than 155,500 houses in 10 regions. More casualties occurred from the sinking of the “Princess of the Stars” ferry off the Philippine Coast during the storm.  Tropical Storm Washi, December 2011 One of few storm cells to hit the southern Philippines, tropical storm Washi triggered flash flooding that surged down mountain sides, uprooting trees and swelling rivers - all while residents slept. The storm left 1,080 people dead and destroyed the coastal cities of Cagayande Oro and nearby Iligan, turning them in rubbish dumps filled with overturned cars, debris and animal carcasses. Houses with families sleeping inside were swept into the sea in an area of the Philippines ill-equipped to cope with storms. It took months for power and clean water to be restored again to the region.

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Pantukan landslide, January 2012

All the conditions were present in making the mining community of Pantukan town on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao vunerable to landslides – steep slopes, rugged land and poor vegetation, the director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, Renato Solidum, said following the January 5, 2012 disaster. Twenty-five people were killed when the landslide struck a gold mine site near the town. Following the landslide, a 30-day suspension of all mining operations in the town was ordered.

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Typhoon

Bopha,

November

–

December

2012

Super typhoon Bopha made landfall on December 3, 2012, on the Philippines' southern island of Mindanao, which had been destroyed by the Washi storm a year before. Bopha caused widespread destruction on the island with more than 600 fatalities. The super typhoon reached an unusually minimal latitude, coming extremely close to the equator and is in fact the second-most southerly super typhoon labelled “category 5” – the highest level when it comes to a typhoon's maximum wind force and the scale of the potential damage it can inflict.

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Bohol earthquake, October 2013

In the early morning hours of October 15, 2013 the island province of Bohol, located in Central Visayas in the Philippines, was disrupted by the deadliest earthquake in the Philippines in 23 years. The earthquake lasted 34 seconds and had a magnitude size of 7.2. The Bohol earthquake had an impact on the entire Central Visayas region. According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) 222 people died, 976 were injured, and more than 73,000 houses were damaged or destroyed. It has been estimated that the energy the quake released was equivalent to 32 Hiroshima bombs.

2.

Typhoon preparedness and awareness- The National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in conjunction with several states and territories, declare a Typhoon Preparedness Week for their respective areas each year to encourage people to prepare for Typhoon disasters. In the Philippines, when people start hearing about an upcoming Tropical Cyclone most of them refer to it as “bagyo”, but there are four (4) different classifications of these large wind and rain systems. In every category, the risks differ from one another, and there could be instances when weaker ones such as Low Pressure Area (LPA), Tropical Depression, or Tropical Storm cause great havoc to lives and property given their capacity to draw torrential rains than high winds. TYPHOON PREPAREDNESS TIPS ADAPTED FOR THE PHILIPPINES

Before a typhoon hits

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To begin preparing, you should build an emergency kit and make a family communications plan. Know your surroundings. Learn the elevation level of your property and whether the land is flood-prone. This will help you know how your property will be affected when storm surge or tidal flooding are forecast. Identify levees and dams in your area and determine whether they pose a hazard to you. Learn community Typhoon evacuation routes and how to find higher ground. Determine where you would go and how you would get there if you needed to evacuate. Make plans to secure your property: Cover all of your home’s windows. Permanent storm shutters offer the best protection for windows. A second option is to board up windows with 5/8” marine plywood, cut to fit and ready to install. Tape does not prevent windows from breaking. Install straps or additional clips to securely fasten your roof to the frame structure. This will reduce roof damage. Be sure trees and shrubs around your home are well trimmed so they are more wind resistant. Clear loose and clogged rain gutters and downspouts. Reinforce your garage doors; if wind enters a garage it can cause dangerous and expensive structural damage. Plan to bring in all outdoor furniture, decorations, garbage cans and anything else that is not tied down. In a strong typhoon, A LOOSE OBJECT IS A MISSILE! Determine how and where to secure your boat. If in a high-rise building, be prepared to take shelter on or below the 10th floor.

During a Typhoon  Listen to the radio or TV for information.

 Secure your home, close storm shutters and secure outdoor objects or bring them indoors.  Turn off utilities (electricity) if instructed to do so. Otherwise, turn the refrigerator thermostat to its coldest setting and keep its doors closed.  Turn off LPG tanks  Avoid using the phone, except for serious emergencies.  Moor your boat if time permits.  Ensure a supply of water for sanitary purpose such as cleaning and flushing toilets. Fill the bathtub and other larger containers with water.  Find out how to keep food safe during and after and emergency

3.

Volcanic Eruption, Earthquake and Landslide- In a landslide, masses of rock, earth or debris move down a slope. They can be activated by storms,earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, fires and human modification of land. Landslides and debris flows can move rapidly, striking with little or no warning at avalanche speeds. Volcanic eruptions happen when lava and gas are discharged from a volcanic vent. The most common consequences of this are population movements as large numbers of people are often forced to flee the moving lava flow. Volcanic eruptions often cause temporary food shortages and volcanic ash landslides called Lahar. Earthquakes and landslides are frightening and destructive natural disasters. An earthquake is the sudden, rapid shaking of the earth caused by the breaking and shifting of rock deep underground. If an earthquake occurs in a populated area, it has the potential to cause many deaths and injuries along with extensive property damage. Although earthquakes are sometimes believed to be a West Coast phenomenon, there are actually 45 states and territories throughout the United States (including Pennsylvania) that are at moderate to high risk.Landslides and debris flows occur in all U.S. states. In a landslide, masses of rock, earth or debris move down a slope. They can be activated by storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, fires and human modification of land. Landslides and debris flows can move rapidly, striking with little or no warning at avalanche speeds. They also can travel several miles from their source, growing in size as they pick up trees, boulders, cars, and other materials. HOW TO PREPARE FOR (AND HELP PREVENT) LANDSLIDES

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Be aware of changes in and around your home that could signal a landslide is likely to occur, such as changes in landscape and water drainage, or new cracks in foundations and sidewalks. Follow proper land-use procedures. Avoid building near steep slopes or along natural erosion valleys. Land-use zoning, professional inspections and proper design can minimize many landslide, mudflow and debris flow problems. Get a ground assessment of your property and, if necessary, consult a geotechnical expert for evaluating landslide hazards or designing corrective techniques to reduce landslide risk. Minimize home hazards by having flexible pipe fittings installed to avoid gas or water leaks, as flexible fittings are more resistant to breakage (only the gas company or professionals should install gas fittings).

Fire Management- is the process of planning, preventing and fighting fires to protect people, property and the forest resource. It also involves fire to attain forestry, wildlife and land-use objectives. Fire fascinates yet frightens us. At times it has been an ally, at others, an enemy. In national parks, we have grappled with the issue of fire for over 100 years. For most of that time, park managers – and our society – have viewed fire as a destructive force and extinguished it.More recently, the science of ecology is telling us something completely different. Fire is an essential part of nature. Eliminating fire from ecosystems is like shutting out the wind or the rain. Yet this is exactly what has happened. Fire management officers and firefighters participate in prescribed and wildland fire management activities and in hazard fuels reduction projects such as thinnings and slash piling activities using chainsaws and other equipment. Individuals employed in these types of positions may also be expected to perform and direct others in completing and processing resource order requests for personnel, equipment, supplies, and aircraft needs for all types of incidents. They may also be required to coordinate with other dispatch organizations regarding the mobilization, reassignment, and demobilization of resources and to determine the status of available resources, while ensuring that this information is made available in a timely manner to those who need it. Other duties may include assisting with management briefings and providing incident statistics and historical fire and weather analyses, as well as other data. They may be called upon to enter fire weather data into weather application software for the projection of fire behavior and to communicate the probabilities and forecasts obtained to field personnel and fire management staff.