EDITORIAL - Weak preparedness

At a certain level, water has to be released from dams. Communities around dams are aware of this and know when to get out of the way when a dam siren starts wailing, warning of the impending release of water.

What happens when water from a dam is released into a heavily flooded area? The result is apparently what can now be seen in many areas of Bulacan, which remained under several inches of water until yesterday as typhoon “Quiel” moved out of the country after dumping more rains over the weekend.

The deluge was reminiscent of the flooding spawned by typhoons “Ondoy” and “Pepeng” two years ago in Luzon that was also aggravated by the release of water from dams. When the flood subsided, dam managers and local government officials in the affected areas were supposed to have improved their coordination in the issuance of alerts for the release of water so that evacuation could be undertaken efficiently. Programs were also launched to improve disaster preparedness and mitigation capabilities of various agencies.

The latest disaster in Central Luzon shows that more must be done. Protocols for the release of water from dams will again have to be reviewed. Physical structures to reduce the impact of typhoons and floods will also have to be reinforced or redesigned.

Authorities have emphasized that sufficient warnings were issued in the affected areas, but many people refused to evacuate to safer ground. Fishermen set out to sea despite warnings, which authorities said were issued as early as five days before Pedring struck.

The reluctance to abandon homes can be attributed to the inadequacy of emergency evacuation facilities and the weakness of law enforcement during periods of natural calamities. Residents along the path of a powerful typhoon would rather take their chances and sit out the weather disturbance. This allows them to keep an eye on their homes and belongings. Even in the face of disaster, few people are eager to seek shelter in a crowded evacuation center with no provisions for privacy, where there is rarely enough food and clean water, where sanitation facilities are overwhelmed, and where there is a high risk of contracting diseases.

Parts of Luzon are still paralyzed by Pedring’s floods. The disaster shows the weaknesses in disaster preparedness and mitigation that must be addressed before more powerful typhoons strike.