More storms coming; we must be ready for them

Several storms and typhoons have been ravaging our islands in succession since October, following a westerly route with Catanduanes as the first land to be hit, followed by Albay, Camarines Sur, and Norte, then Quezon Province.

Storms get their power from the sea. As they proceed further inland, they lose strength, so that by the time they reach the western areas of Luzon, they are not as strong as they had been when they first hit Catanduanes island.

Last Thursday, “Ulysses” hit Catanduanes with the usual devastating fury of a new typhoon, but this time it appeared to have kept its destructive force even as it crossed Quezon Province and Central Luzon, its strong winds and strong rains falling over a wide area that included Metro Manila and Southern Tagalog.

Unusually heavy rains fell in Metro Manila, with Marikina appearing to have suffered the worst floods which inundated most of the city Thursday night. This Friday’s newspapers were filled with photos of families escaping to their rooftops as floodwaters reached up to their roof eaves.