Dark clouds and other thoughts

Since Monday to Wednesday, Cebu City and adjacent areas have been nothing but a water world. Netizens were quick to capture scenarios of stranded passengers on board rubber boats, cars floating in an open parking lot and a house that was carried away by the landslide. While having rains is usual for Cebu and the Philippines in general, what is unusual is the amount of rainfall it carried.

According to state weather bureau PAGASA in its Mactan Station, the rain poured over 65.9 millimeters of rainfall which is equivalent to 329,500 barrels of water. The thing is, there is no weather disturbance. The rains came from localized thunderstorms which happen very often. Apparently the new normal for the weather was once the level of a storm.

The unusual weather patterns are an effect of climate change. This discussion has been on the table for many years because experts saw what was coming such as an increase in temperature, the rising level of the sea and abnormal weather disturbances. In fact, we are already too late in stopping the effects. We are now entering an era where we must adjust and create mitigation measures.

On a walk through with some Cebu City officials and personnel, they tried to trace the source of the water that inundated Barangay Apas and some parts of Banilad. They saw how the area became a catch basin from water that came from the upland areas. Apparently, the water could not seep into anything at that height because of the advent of construction. Thus, it is forced to run off to a lower surface. With that volume of water plus the heavy rainfall, we now have a disaster. Water is like a trapped being; it searches for areas where it can get out. The best way is for it to seep down to the water bed. However, with the amount of concrete materials that are covering our grounds today, it now seems impossible.

The immediate recourse is to de-clog and do a massive cleanup. It is, to some point, helpful to the problem but it does not address it in a long term manner. We will have to keep on repeating the cycle of cleaning, which is also a regular activity that the local government should do. Like many other ideas, we are falling into band-aid solutions of a problem that could be solved with the proper infrastructure.

Whenever I look up and see dark clouds, I cringe. I fight the urge to speed through my day and finish all my chores. The paranoia takes over me; I am that scared to be caught in another water world. I do hope we won't have to live through such an experience again. While the sun is still out, it is time to look for solutions before another downpour occurs again. They say when it is Mother Nature teaching you a lesson, you must apply it immediately at all costs. I hope everyone is listening.