EDITORIAL - Preparing for disaster

In the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, the death toll soared to at least 506 yesterday while up to 13,500 people were rendered homeless in the wake of floods and a massive mudslide. In Australia, Brisbane residents continued to cope with the worst flooding since 1893 after the river that runs through the city burst its banks, claiming about 20 lives with nearly 70 others still missing as of yesterday.

The Philippines has had its share of deadly, destructive natural calamities. Yesterday, President Aquino flew to Albay in the Bicol Region, which remains under a state of calamity following floods and landslides since the Christmas holidays. Recently, another deadly mudslide hit the town of St. Bernard in Southern Leyte. The town is home to Guinsaugon, the village that was nearly erased from the map when a huge chunk of a mountain ridge came crashing down after 10 days of incessant rains in February 2006.

In several parts of the world, people used to natural calamities are surprised by the severity of the disasters that have struck their communities. While some quarters are questioning the science behind warnings about the adverse effects of climate change, extreme weather seems to be increasingly prevailing in many parts of the globe, from early and severe winter storms to devastating floods.

Over a year ago the Philippines experienced one of the worst floods in decades. The floods brought by storm “Ondoy,” aggravated later by typhoon “Pepeng,” took several months to subside in the Laguna de Bay floodplain. The nation should have learned its lesson from that disaster. By now warning systems for floods and the release of water from dams must be in place. Evacuation procedures and facilities must be readied and rescue equipment placed on standby. Meteorologists have given sufficient warning about the tropical cyclones expected this year and the severity of La Niña, the weather phenomenon that brings unusually heavy rains in this part of the planet. There is no excuse to be unprepared.