The Pag-asa has declared an end to this El Nino season and has warned the public that La Nina may well be on the way.
La Niña is the abnormal cooling of sea surface temperatures that cause heavy rainfall.
Are we ready for La Nina?
Memories of the February 7, 2009 flood — the worst flooding ever — continue to haunt Dumaguete residents. On that day, floodwaters washed away several houses from the bank of the Banica River, killing two persons.
The rains had been falling continuously over Dumaguete that time, leaving the land soaked and unable to hold the water. Naturally, all excess water had to flow down to the sea, taking everything along the way.
Many people may not have learned the lessons of the February 7 flood as they have rebuilt their homes close to the Banica river. In sitio Laguna, barangay Looc, there are families living right on top of the creek. They may be candidates for being the next flood victims if they are not relocated.
We also need to double time on de-clogging our canals so that the water may pass freely.
We cannot stop the rain from falling. And once the land can no longer hold the water, we cannot stop the floods either. But we can increase our capacity to respond to these calamities in order to minimize casualties and damage.
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