BAÑOC
The year of the rooster, 2017, ended with two tropical storms named Urduja and Vinta that claimed lives and destroyed properties. And the year of the dog, 2018, also started with another tropical depression named Agaton.
According to a PAGASA report, both Urduja and Vinta fall within the category of tropical storm, while Agaton is classified as tropical depression.
Urduja claimed 46 lives and damaged some areas in the Visayas, while Vinta killed more than 240 people and damaged the areas in Mindanao.
Agaton reportedly claimed two lives in Cebu.
In my interview during my Straight to the Point radio program aired over DYHP RMN Cebu with Engr. Al Quiblat, head of PAGASA Mactan, he said that our country has to experience an average of 20 typhoons per year. With Agaton as the first typhoon of the year, we expect more typhoons to come. Hopefully, they could not claim more lives and destroy properties.
Engr. Quiblat further discussed that there are five categories of typhoons which all start with an LPA (Low Pressure Area). The five categories are the following: 1. Tropical Depression with winds ranging from 45-61 kilometers per hour; 2. Tropical Storm with winds ranging from 62-88 kilometers per hour; 3. Severe Tropical Storm with 89-118 km/hour; 4. Typhoon with 119-220 km/hour; and 5. Super typhoon with 220 km/hour and more, the new category.
As far as I can recall, being a native of Leyte, a place that is most often hit by typhoons, we were not alarmed then when a reported weather disturbance does not fall within the category of typhoon. However, nowadays, the risks are almost the same. Hence, we should not be complacent in our preparations.
I could not imagine that Urduja and Vinta which are only classified as tropical storms could inflict so much damage. True that their wind gustiness were not so strong, but the volume of rains they brought were terrible. They caused floods that claimed lives and damaged a lot of infrastructure.
It has also been observed that typhoons are already unpredictable such that they can strike at any month, unlike our experiences many years before.
Engr. Quiblat attributed those incidents to climate change. So we need to prepare and adjust to the new normal weather conditions.
We call on our government agencies to prepare to the fullest whenever a forecast is made of whatever typhoon categories, to minimize, if not, totally prevent damages. Also everyone must embrace the new normal by cooperating with the authorities and by doing something for their own safety.
There is also a call for everyone to do something good for our environment. Everyone should realize that to protect our environment is part of our duties as citizens and trustees of our mother earth.
Although the first day of the year is greeted with a tropical depression, it does not mean that we are unlucky the whole year. We can interpret such incident as a signal for us not to be complacent and be more focused on the days to come.
It is actually a matter of mind setting. We would rather be optimistic that great things will come in this year of the earth dog. After all, the Chinese astrologers have listed many positive things in this year of the dog.
But I believe that prayers and actions are still the perfect combination.
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