19 Oct, 2022
Del Mundo Mark D Earth Science, Ma'am. Charo 11 ESTEM C1 , PNC
In Ormoc City, power and communications
lines were cut off and roads were left
impassable, leaving the city isolated.
But more than two decades ago,
residents of Ormoc had faced a
similar tragedy, when hundreds of
people were killed in a matter of
hours due to flash floods that
submerged the city.
According to the report, intense rainfall
caused the massive flooding in Ormoc and
parts of Eastern and Western Leyte. But it
was not clear why the typhoon unloaded
such heavy rains when it crossed Leyte.
Aside from the heavy rainfall, the Manila
Observatory’s report identified other factors
that contributed to the massive devastation.
Before the onslaught of
Super Typhoon
Yolanda in 2013, Ormoc
City faced a powerful
storm that submerged
parts of the city on
November 5, 1991
At least 4,000 people were killed in the
flashfloods triggered by heavy rains. Some
3,000 people were injured and about 2,500
were reported missing after the floods. In
just over 3 hours of flooding, waters rose an
average of 3 to 5 feet; at the peak of the
flooding, waters rose by 7 feet in 15 minutes,
according to a 1992 report by the Manila
Observatory’s Environmental Research
Division.
While illegal logging and deforestation were to blame for the
landslides, geographic conditions in the area also had to be
considered. The soil in the Ormoc watershed exceeded its capacity to
hold water, while the central part of the island of Leyte, classified as
volcanic terrain, has soil that is susceptible to erosion.
The flooding was also exacerbated by debris from poorly-made
infrastructure. One of the worst hit areas, Isla Verde, recorded a high
death toll because the high-risk area was allowed to be heavily
populated.
To prevent a disaster of this scale from happening again, the city
government has taken measures to improve its disaster and
resilience capabilities.