The last week of September 2009 saw the start of what has been described as a freak series of unfortunate events in Asia. Earthquakes, a tsunami, and massive flooding caused by typhoons killed thousands aside from causing damage to crops, infrastructure and private property.

Typhoons and Flooding in the Philippines

In the Philippines, typhoon “Ondoy” (international name “Ketsana”), super typhoon “Pepeng” (“Parma”), and tropical storm “Quedan” (“Melor”) caused unimaginable damage to many areas in Luzon.

On September 26, 2009, “Ondoy” dumped so much rain in Metro Manila and neighboring provinces, causing massive flooding. Among the areas most severely hit were the cities of Marikina and Pasig in Metro Manila, and Cainta in Rizal province. Two weeks after “Ondoy” struck, areas in Laguna and Pasig were still under floodwaters.

“Pepeng” hit Northern Luzon a week after “Ondoy” wrecked havoc. Strong winds and heavy rains caused damage in Cagayan, Isabela, and Ilocos Norte, among others. Just as “Ondoy” was leaving the country, “Quedan” approached the Philippines. Although it did not hit the country directly, “Quedan” caused “Pepeng” to hit Luzon again—and yet again. In its second and third landfall, “Pepeng” caused much more damage. Rivers, creeks, and lakes overflowed, causing widespread flooding in the Ilocos Region and Cagayan Valley. Incessant rains caused deadly landslides in the Cordilleras. Water in five dams rose to critical  levels,  prompting authorities to release water. This caused even more flooding in Pangasinan and other areas in Central Luzon.

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Disasters Elsewhere

After hitting the Philippines, “Ketsana” next battered Vietnam. Not to be outdone, “Melor” finally unleashed its fury in Japan.   Aside from the three storms, a couple of other natural disasters also hit Asia. A strong earthquake caused heavy damage in the Indonesian city of Padang. Strong rains triggered flash floods in India. Not far away, a tsunami generated by an undersea quake devastated Samoa and some of its neighboring islands.

Blame Game?

Typhoons, floods, earthquakes, and tsunamis are natural phenomena that some say are nature’s way of reminding us to stop destroying and neglecting the environment. However, while we cannot stop directly them, we have the capability to lessen their impact. Early detection of typhoons and signs of possible flooding, for instance, could give ample time for residents of areas in danger of such to evacuate. A comprehensive disaster preparedness program that involves not only government agencies but more so individual neighborhoods could lessen reaction time drastically. How do we fare in these aspects? Way below passing grade, definitely. Tragically, this made the freak events even more unfortunate.

Who then is to blame for the disasters we had to face recently? Do we blame the heavens? Do we point an accusing finger at government officials? The October 12, 2009 editorial of the Philippine Daily Inquirer puts it so clearly: all of us are to blame for this series of unfortunate events.

It is now time to act and do something.