By early evening yesterday, at least 12 deaths had been recorded as Typhoon Odette, which warranted storm warning signals just a notch lower than Super Typhoon Yolanda, barreled across Mindanao and the Visayas. The typhoon weakened slightly, but it still caused massive destruction of property and crops as it made landfall at least eight times before hitting Palawan yesterday afternoon.
Many devastated areas face the prospect of spending Christmas without electricity – a problem that also puts at risk COVID vaccine storage. Other households have a bigger problem: Odette flattened large swaths of agricultural lands. Families dependent on the crops will have to scrounge for new sources of livelihood in the coming months. Poverty incidence, already going up in the first half of the year to 23.7 percent or 26 million Filipinos due to the pandemic, will likely worsen due to the destruction of farmlands and property.
The onslaught of Odette is a reminder of the continuing risks posed by climate-related threats even as the world grapples with COVID-19. The Philippines, one of the countries most vulnerable to global warming, has suffered in recent years from increasing cases of extreme weather disturbances, including storm surges in secluded bays.
Since Yolanda hammered much of Western Visayas, there has been a lot of talk about building back better and building for climate resilience. Efforts were also undertaken to improve evacuation protocols and facilities across an archipelago that is visited annually by an average of 20 typhoons.
As subsequent tropical cyclones after Yolanda and even volcanic eruptions have shown, however, evacuation facilities remain inadequate especially during powerful typhoons. Even with distancing and hygiene requirements due to the pandemic, there aren’t enough modular tents and sanitation facilities in the typical evacuation center. These days, in addition to this lack, people have to worry about the potential spread of COVID especially in communities with low vaccination rates.
Despite the improved accuracy of storm warnings, timely evacuation in many areas including coastal and riverside communities still cannot be implemented. This is partly because many people worry about leaving their homes and seeking shelter in poorly equipped and crowded evacuation centers.
Powerful typhoons in the fourth quarter are not unusual in the country. Odette should revive the urgency of implementing disaster mitigation measures and building for climate resiliency.