Fear and prepare for the unknown

Before Super Typhoon Yolanda brought unspeakable destruction and carnage to the Visayas region, the term “storm surge” was not yet part of the Filipino lexicon in relation to disaster preparedness. Despite the early warnings and anticipation that it could be the strongest typhoon to hit Philippine shores to date, nobody expected that the damage would be this severe. Nobody knew that it would bring so much pain and anguish to the country, which resonates to the rest of the world.

By now, majority of Filipinos probably know how destructive storm surges can be in the aftermath of the super typhoon, just as earthquakes, lahar flows, floods, landslides and tsunamis now get our full attention. By now, hopefully, whenever there is a report of a looming typhoon and the accompanying storm surge, everybody will be fully prepared and relocate early if need be.