EDITORIAL - Improving preparedness

Weather forecasters got it right, down to the hours when the powerful winds of Typhoon Glenda would roar across Luzon from the eastern seaboard to the northwest. Billboards were brought down hours before the typhoon made landfall. Classes and flights were suspended on time.

Disaster preparedness is improving although it can use more fine-tuning. Glenda skirted Metro Manila and spared it from heavy rains, but recent monsoon rains have shown that flood control leaves much to be desired in the capital region. Northern Metro Manila remains vulnerable to serious flooding even during high tide and is still waiting for the completion of a much-delayed flood control project.

In many areas, Glenda’s fury was seen mainly in the toppled trees that blocked thoroughfares or fell on houses and vehicles. Environment and forestry officials can assist communities by providing information on ways to secure trees, especially old, large ones, during typhoons. 

Super Typhoon Yolanda showed the value of heeding weather alerts and improving disaster preparedness. Many local governments have implemented measures to protect not only lives but also private property, infrastructure, crops and livestock.

More can be done, however, particularly in certain aspects such as evacuation procedures and facilities. After Yolanda, there is more public readiness to temporarily leave homes in preparation for typhoons, but there were still reports of people refusing to evacuate to safer ground. Protocols can be drawn up to guide local officials on the conditions that will warrant forced evacuation.

Once residents are evacuated, local governments must be ready with decent evacuation centers. Apart from space sufficient enough to at least prevent the rapid spread of disease, evacuees need decent lavatories and running water for personal hygiene, cooking and doing their laundry. Security measures must also be in place to prevent empty homes from being looted. Fear of looting is one of the biggest reasons for the refusal of people to leave their homes even when experts are warning of the approach of a powerful typhoon.

The state weather bureau said Glenda was just the first strong typhoon of the season. It was no Milenyo or Ondoy, but we shouldn’t wait for the next big one to improve preparedness.