First a tropical storm then a volcanic eruption

In Metro Manila, it was a casual thing. But tropical storm "Florita" caused several landslides in Baguio City that buried two children and flash floods in the Ilocos provinces and La Union where no less than five people died, four by drowning and one by being struck by lightning. But the long effect is that 3,802 families were affected by the floods in 15 La Union towns and 2,371 families in the 11 towns of Ilocos Norte. In La Union, the provincial board declared the entire province under a state of calamity.

On top of this, Director Renato Solidum of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology announced that Metro Manila is now under threat of major earthquakes because many fault lines are right next to the metropolis. Over half of Metro Manila buildings have not complied with the seismic standards that could make buildings withstand strong earth movements.

And now we have the threat of a major eruption of Mayon Volcano that has increased its magma buildup and now releasing lava down a gully. This means that it could erupt. Mayon is the most active volcano in the Philippines and has erupted 47 times since 1616. Its strongest eruption was in Feb. 1, 1814. It buried several towns and killed 1,200 people. In 1993, it exploded without warning and killed 75 farmers who were tilling their land under its foot.

Last May 30, we wrote a column on disaster preparedness but it was limited to only two natural disasters – earthquakes and typhoons. Today, we will have to add preparedness for volcanic eruptions. By the way, volcanic eruptions could affect Metro Manila. Taal volcano is very close. Everyone should know what to do in the event of a volcanic eruption. Here are instructions that have been adopted from the Worst-Case Scenario, Survival Handbook:

"1. Watch out for falling rocks, trees and debris.

"If you are caught amid falling debris, roll into a ball to protect your head. If you are trapped near a stream, watch out for mudflows. Move uphill, especially if you hear the roar of a mudflow. If you are in the path of lava, try to get out of its flow in any way possible. You will not be able to outrun the lava, so do not try to race it downhill. If you are near depression or valley that might divert the flow from you, try to get to the safe side.

"2. Move indoors as soon as possible.

"If you are already inside, stay there and move to a higher floor if possible. Close all doors and windows, and move any cars or machinery indoors if there is time.

"3. Do not sit or lie on the floor or ground.

"It is possible to be overcome by volcanic fumes. The most dangerous gas is carbon dioxide. It does not have a strong odor, and it is denser than air so it collects near the ground.

"4. Evacuate the area, but only if authorities tell you to do so.

"Your best chance of survival is to use a car to drive to a safer area, but even a car may not be fast enough to outpace a lava flow. Some flows travel at 100 to 200 mph. Since volcanic ash can quickly clog the radiator and air intake of your car’s engine, avoid driving except to evacuate."