1990 LUZON EARTHQUAKE
The Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world. Located along the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire” and having five major fault lines, it is no stranger to earthquakes. One of its most memorable seismic events was the powerful quake that struck the island of Luzon in 1990, which resulted in a number of collapsed buildings, left an estimated $369-million worth of damages, and a total of 2,412 people dead.
The massive 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Luzon Island in the Philippines on July 16, 1990, wreaked havoc across a size able portion of Luzon, the country’s largest island, with Baguio City suffering the most devastating effects. The epicenter of the quake, which struck at 4:26 p.m., was north of Manila in the Nueva Ecija province. Reports indicate that the shaking went on for nearly a full minute. Collapsing buildings were the main cause of damage and death, although many people were injured stampedes of people fleeing multi-story buildings.
The earthquake left not just massive damage and casualties, but also lessons about disaster readiness. Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology Director Dr. Renato Solidum said the 1990 earthquake left four valuable lessons: The public needs to respond properly during earthquakes. Hazards and their effects should be simulated. Building codes should be implemented properly. And land use should be carefully planned.
TYPHOON DOT (1985)
Typhoon Dot, known in the Philippines as Typhoon Saling, was the strongest storm of the 1985 season. Dot originated from a small area of thunderstorm activity in early to mid October. The system was first classified on October 11, and steadily intensified over the next few days. Dot attained typhoon strength on October 15, and subsequently entered a period of explosive deepening, which was not anticipated by forecasters. The next day the intensification rate slowed, but that evening, Dot attained its maximum intensify.
Although damage across the Philippines was less than initially expected, the typhoon lashed the nation with heavy rains. Province of Nueva Ecija suffered the worst effects from Dot. There, 500,000 acres (200,000 ha) of crops and 90% of all buildings were damaged. In Cabanatuan, 2,500 homes and 90% of structures were destroyed. Overall, 42 towns were flooded, forcing a total of 125,000 people to flee their homes, 35,000 of which were homeless. Furthermore, 52,933 houses were leveled while an additional 200,450 were damaged.
During the aftermath of the storm, the governor of Nueva Ecija requested President Ferdinand Marcos to declare his province a disaster area. People in Nueva Ecija admit that even the province put in Alert, they are not prepared for it.
FLASH FLOOD AFTER TYPHOON LANDO
Nueva Ecija is one of the hardest-hit areas in Luzon by typhoon "Lando," with many residents evacuating their homes due to devastating floods. The morning of Monday, October 19, saw Cabanatuan City slowly rising from the depths of muddy flood waters brought by Typhoon Lando.
“First time ever sa kasaysayan ng Nueva Ecija. Akala ko nga 4 years ago yung Pedring na yung pinaka mataas pero hindi pala, ito talaga,” said Joanne Guevarra, a resident of barangay Aduas Norte
This sentiment was among the first to be voiced out by rescued residents as they boarded the truck.
“We never experienced these kinds of floods before,” said 59-year-old Anna Mateo of Aduas Centro village in Filipino.
Nueva Ecija team could not send rescuers to the area flooded because they couldn’t access the site because of the water’s strong current. They had to stop where it was passable. Residents said they were not prepared for the speed at which flood waters rose. Areas which before could expect floods to subside after reaching the knee were inundated by waters that went beyond their heads. This lack of preparation was one reason why many got stranded in their homes.
LANDSLIDE IN GABALDON BECAUSE OF TYPHOON LANDO
A Nueva Ecija town left isolated during the height of Typhoon Lando is now the scene of a disaster as boulders, mud and trees cover its streets and rice fields. Flash floods and landslides affected Gabaldon, Nueva Ecija, making the town inaccessible to the provincial capitol.
A huge portion of a mountain eroded and caused rocks, mud and trees to cover houses and rice fields in the town. Officials also debunked reports that there were at least 70 people killed in the landslide, saying that there have been no fatalities in the town so far.
One resident, 74-year-old Dem Balbido, told ABS-CBN News that before the typhoon struck, he used a 10-foot ladder to get to the roof of his bakery. After the floods, the roof of the bakery is now nearly level with the ground. They know that landslides will happen after the typhoon, but still, they are not that prepared.
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