The Pag-asa says rains brought about by La Nina are set to arrive in the next two months, and would persist until the first quarter of next year.{{more}}
Even then, warnings are up for floods and landslides in hazardous areas in the country as early as this month, with the onset of the rainy season and with at most two typhoons expected to hit the country.
Memories of last year’s February 7 flood are still fresh in everyone’s minds, providing a chilling reminder of the threat that hounds Dumaguete City and Negros Oriental during the rainy season.
There is nothing we can do to stop the rains and the typhoons; they are sure to come. But the good news is that we can prepare for typhoons.
There are many things that we can individually do to prepare our homes for disasters, like stocking up on food, water, batteries, flashlights, and other supplies that will allow us to survive for at least three days in a worst-case scenario.
The government can also help eliminate hazardous conditions. Trees leaning precariously should already be cut down. Residents living along riverbanks and other hazardous sites should already be assigned classrooms that will serve as evacuation centers. They must be told where to find the one who holds the key to the classroom.
The worst that could happen is if we allow ourselves to be victims of a flood similar or greater than the February 7 flood all over again. Should that happen, we probably deserve it for not learning from our past mistakes.
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