EDITORIAL - Improving preparedness

It’s the world’s strongest typhoon this year so far and the most powerful ever to make landfall, according to weather trackers. Super Typhoon Haiyan, named Yolanda as it entered the Philippines, wreaked major havoc as predicted, destroying homes, knocking out power lines and forcing the cancellation of flights. Yesterday afternoon, disaster mitigation authorities were verifying reports that in Leyte alone, an estimated 100 people were killed, with bodies said to be littering the airport.

The human toll, however, was believed to be lower in areas earlier devastated by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake. After that horrific disaster, it didn’t take much effort this time to persuade residents in risk areas in Bohol and Cebu to evacuate to safer ground. Filipinos are typically reluctant to place their homes at the mercy of burglars and nature’s fury even for one night. In the case of Yolanda, people in the quake-hit areas heeded the advice of disaster mitigation officials.

The government can sustain public willingness to get out of the path of danger by improving evacuation facilities. Many people refuse to leave their homes for evacuation centers because they don’t relish the prospect of staying even temporarily in crowded shelters with filthy toilets and inadequate clean water. The risk of disease outbreaks is high in such cramped and unsanitary facilities – a major concern especially for families with young children.

Recent disasters have shown improved coordination among agencies involved in rescue and relief operations. Improvements are also evident in the typhoon forecasting accuracy of the weather bureau, although its warnings on rainfall volume – crucial for flood alerts – can use fine-tuning.

People have also become more aware of the health risks from exposure to heavy rain and dirty floodwaters. Residents in flood-prone areas are learning to take precautions not only against the flu and diarrhea but also dengue, leptospirosis and fungal skin infections.

Public cooperation in disaster mitigation efforts can be encouraged through improvements in the state’s capability to deal with natural calamities. Rescue and relief equipment need to be upgraded. The government’s airlift capability is acutely limited, slowing down rescue and relief efforts. Communities in mountain areas can be cut off for days by landslides, damaged roads and bridges.

Yolanda did its worst as it roared across the country, claiming lives and destroying property and crops. Some communities were more prepared than others for the howler. Such preparedness should be the norm in future natural calamities.