Beware, Thunderstorm in the Horizon

Looks like we had to throw our shades, bikinis & sun blocks away and prepare our umbrellas, caps and jackets. Summer seems to be over and we had to welcome rainy season whether we like it or not. It’s good news for some of our fellow countrymen particularly to those in the provinces. It’s the time of the year where our crops need water. Several of our dams with decrease in water level during the hot season will be replenish. But for most of us, this is the time of the year that we had to prepare more. As a resident of Malabon for 30 years, seeing floods left and right is just part of our life. But floods accompanied by heavy rains means total disaster for lowly areas like us.

Today, I’ll just share several facts about typhoons that have hit our country and peep into the most notable tropical cyclones to enter the Philippine area of responsibility.

According to PAGASA, storms were categorized into four types based on their wind speed. First is the Tropical Depression with maximum sustained winds between 55 kms. per hour to 64 kms. per hour near it’s centre. Tropical Storms range from 65 to 119 kms. per hour. Typhoons achieve a maximum of 120 to 185 kms. per hour. The strongest is Super Typhoon with winds exceeding 185.

Based on Wikipedia, the most destructive typhoon ever to hit Philippines is Thelma in November of 1991. Death toll was estimated at 5,000- 8,000 people and damages amounting to P 1.045 B. In terms of damages and loss of property, typhoon Ruping had a resounding P10.846B recorded in just 5 days. Typhoon Amy stayed in the country for almost half month from December 6-19, 1951 killing the lives of 991 people, 2nd highest after Thelma.
Aside from typhoon strength, amount of rainfalls were also measured. The wettest tropical cyclone was the July 1911 cyclone which dropped over 1,168 millimetres of rainfall within a 24 hour period at Baguio City. Curiously, 5 of the top 10 wettest recorded tropical cyclones occurred in Benguet.

Some of the latest typhoons to devastate the archipelago were Milenyo and Durian. The latter triggered mudslides that killed at least 388 people. River of muds and volcanic ashes from Mayon volcano swamped houses in the region. Milenyo on the other hand, killed many people not only here in our country but also in Vietnam. 24 hours after Milenyo left the Philippines, only 18% of the whole nation had their water and electricity returned. Large numbers of offices and establishments have been forced to close down. Uprooted trees, fallen cable wires and billboards can be seen in the usual busy streets.

When I was young, I always wait for this time of the year. No classes, cold weather, good time to eat and watch television. But imagine those people living in depressed areas. Where spare tires replaced nails in their roofs. Where people sleep surrounded by flood water. Where children were sick after so much exposure to rain. That opened my eyes to the reality that not everybody is happy during this kind of calamity. In every family living comfortably in exclusive villages during this time, there are thousands of families suffering and even threatened to lose their houses. Fear, worry and anxiety are written all over their faces.

Just think of how lucky we are compared to these people. For many of us, there's no amount of rain fall can prevent us from window shopping and bar hopping. But for them, there's no amount of rain fall can duplicate the tears lost during this time of depression.