Public told to prepare for stronger typhoons in ‘Ber’ months

MANILA, Philippines — Authorities on Thursday enjoined the public to be extra-cautious especially when traveling, with the ‘ber’ months fast approaching. Citing figures from 1947 to present, the National Statistical Coordinating Board (NSCB) pointed to a trend showing an increase in the number of tropical cyclones hitting the country, with the strongest occurring during the September to December period. In the past three years, 39 tropical cyclones entered the Philippine area of responsibility, higher than 27 during the 2000-2003 period. “Dapat palagi silang alerto especially during the 4th quarter… (They should always be alert especially during the 4th quarter…), said NSCB Secretary-General Romulo Viriola in an interview aired over QTV’s Balitanghali. Citing records of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration’s (Pagasa), the NSCB noted that in the past decade, typhoons were strongest during the last quarter of the year. Of the six typhoons that reached the Signal No. 4 alert level, five happened during the “ber" season. These were Ilian, Oct. 98; Loleng, Oct. 98; Yoyong, Nov.-Dec. 2006; Paeng, Oct.-Nov. 2006; and Queenie, Nov. 2006. The only exception was typhoon Harurot, which occurred in July 2003. Nathaniel Cruz, chief of the Pagasa weather branch, also pointed to previous studies warning of more intense cyclones worldwide as an effect of the changing climate. In fact, typhoons entering the Philippine area of forecasting responsibility in the past decade not only increased in frequency but also in strength, Pagasa records show. During the start of the 60-year monitoring period, the strongest tropical cyclone was typhoon Amy of 1951, which was recorded at 240 kilometers per hour. In the middle of the monitoring period, typhoon Sening of 1970 was the strongest at 275 kph. For the later part of that period, typhoon Reming of 2006 was the strongest with 320 kph winds. Reming, which hit Visayas and the Bicol region and devastated Legazpi City and Albay province, was also in the NSCB and Pagasa’s “top 10" in terms of deaths. Topping the list was Uring (Nov. 1991), in which 5,101 deaths were reported. It was at the height of Uring when a reservoir in the island of Leyte broke, causing flashfloods that struck the city of Ormoc. The other typhoons in the list are Nitang (Aug-Sep. 1984) with 1,363 deaths; Trix (Oct 1952), 995 deaths; Amy (Dec. 1951), 991 deaths; Sisang (Oct. 1987), 979 deaths; Rosing (Oct.-Nov. 1995), 936 deaths; Undang (Nov. 1984), 895 deaths; Sening (Oct. 1970), 768 deaths; Reming (Nov.-Dec. 2006), 754 deaths; and Ruping (Nov. 1990), 748 deaths. Reaching “supertyphoon" status did not necessarily mean notoriety in terms of destruction. In the NSCB and Pagasa’s “top 5" most destructive typhoons, Reming, the strongest-ever in 60 years, was not one of them and only Ruping was a supertyphoon. Ruping (Nov. 1990), considered the most devastating typhoon to hit the country, battered entire Mindanao, Visayas, Central Luzon, Metro Manila, Bicol and Southern Tagalog regions, affecting more than five million people and destroying an estimated P10.846 billion in properties. Next was Rosing (Oct.-Nov. 1995), with damage estimated at P10.429 billion. Damage from Kadiang, which unleashed lahar or mudflows from Mt. Pinatubo Volcano, burying several towns in Pampanga in Sept.-Oct. 1993, was estimated at P8.752 billion. Loleng, which battered the Eastern Visayas and Bicol Regions and Quezon in Oct. 1998 destroyed P6.878 billion in properties. Milenyo caused widespread destruction in the Visayas and Luzon in Sept. 2006, with damage estimated at P6.61 billion, before it proceeded to Vietnam where it caused more deaths and damage. - GMANews.TV