On October 24, the devastation left in the wake of Typhoon Kristine took many by surprise, particularly in areas that had seldom — if ever —experienced flooding. Communities were caught off guard, underscoring the growing threat of climate change and the need for more proactive disaster preparedness.
In Batangas City, my hometown, the Calumpang River rose dangerously close to the level of the bridge, leaving residents near the dike in fear of the worst. Similarly, the Pansipit River in Taal overflowed, an unprecedented event even compared to Typhoon Ondoy, which struck with severe rainfall years earlier. Residents remarked in a TV interview that they had never seen such heavy rains in just 24 hours.
The sight of deeply submerged areas in coastal towns such as Lemery, Balayan, Calatagan, and Nasugbu was disheartening. The flooding was so severe that patients at the Batangas Provincial Hospital had to be moved to higher floors as floodwaters engulfed the first floor. Kristine spared no city or town in Batangas from its wrath.
Hope and Resilience
As the storm wreaked havoc, social media was flooded with calls for prayers, not only for the worst-hit regions like Bicol, particularly Camarines Sur, but also for Batangas and other provinces in Southern Tagalog. The sheer scope of Kristine’s destruction demanded the collective hope and resilience of the nation.
According to PAGASA, Typhoon Kristine, classified as a “severe storm,” made landfall in Cagayan and Isabela in northern Luzon at 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 24. In just a few hours, the typhoon claimed six lives in Bicol and one in Calabarzon, affecting two million Filipinos across its path. By 5:00 p.m. that day, Kristine was still battering northern Luzon, but forecasters predicted it would exit towards the West Philippine Sea, potentially heading to other parts of Asia. However, weathermen also warned of the possibility of the storm making a U-turn if it collided with another cyclone at sea. A terrifying prospect indeed.
Climate Change’s Role
Typhoon Kristine’s intensified rainfall and destructive power are a stark reminder of the impact of climate change. The storm’s heightened intensity, heavier rainfall, and more widespread flooding are consequences of rising global temperatures and warmer oceans, which fuel stronger storms.
Climate change is the looming force behind these increasingly severe weather events, underscoring the urgent need for proactive, not reactive, measures. Without action, we will continue to face stronger storm surges, more destructive typhoons, flash floods, overflowing rivers, coastal damage, and other climate-related disasters. These events will have profound impacts on food supply, transportation, power, and other critical services, potentially leading to an economic and humanitarian catastrophe.
Typhoon Kristine is a warning. If our officials and communities are unprepared, it may be only the beginning of a series of even more destructive storms on the horizon. Urgent, coordinated action is necessary to mitigate the effects of climate change and prevent future disasters of this scale.
(email opinyon.luchie@gmail.com, luchiearguelles@yahoo.com)
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