The floods that hit the northern portion of Bacolod City and Talisay last weekend were particularly surprising because the heavy rains that caused it were localized over those areas only. In Silay, just a few minutes away by car, there were rains, but it was not enough to cause any serious midnight-early morning floods, which is one of the natural disasters that homeowners fear most.
What was both scary and surprising about those floods was that there was no typhoon or LPA during that time. It was just random, localized monsoon rains, and yet it was enough to inundate significant portions of Bacolod and Talisay, causing damage and effecting evacuations throughout the night.
The thing about flooding in modern cities is that it is always a combination of a natural and manmade disaster. Unusually heavy rains are an act of nature, and when it coincides with a cyclical natural phenomenon such as the high tide, even the best man-made storm drains in the world will have a difficult time evacuating all that water to be able to stop flood waters from rising.
Aside from better weather prediction capabilities, there is nothing we can do about the natural side. Better forecasts can help cities be more alert when the two main factors of heavy rain and high tide are expected to collide, and that is the job of the city officials to ensure that such a warning system exists and is operational.
On the manmade end of the spectrum, there is so much that needs the attention of the humans in charge when it comes to preventing floods.
Storm drains will work only if they are well designed, properly constructed, and regularly maintained. Spending millions, if not billions of pesos on storm drains that nobody cares to double check because the system is hidden under the ground, will be wasted if they are not properly interconnected to a main drainage line that is at the correct level to allow it to accept and accommodate all the rainwater that is directed to it.
Even if a city manages to build a proper drainage system, it has to make sure that it is properly maintained, which is all about preventing clogs at all its levels, from the street all the way to the final drainage point. Considering how many of us can be so irresponsible with our trash, maintenance is a gargantuan task that has to be performed regularly, especially during the dry season when the drainage system is more accessible for that kind of work.
The biggest issue with storm drains and drainage systems is that it is out of sight and therefore out of mind. It is also technically more difficult to reach, so we can’t make the TUPAD or other cash-for-work scheme people work on it, as they are only good for street sweeping and weed pulling. The only time we think about storm drain maintenance is when too much rain starts to fall and the water starts rising.
Another manmade issue is the overall urban planning of a city, especially when there are big developments that could alter geographical features such as creeks where water naturally flows or grassy fields that can absorb more moisture than nonporous concrete. There are theories floating around that it is the areas near or adjacent to new developments are the ones that are suddenly having to deal with floods. Whether that is true or not, that is the reason why environmental impact assessments and ECCs are required. The problem is that we don’t know if these requirements are taken seriously or if it can be circumvented through dubious means, which is always a possibility in this country where public service can be quite lucrative. If any shortcuts are taken or corners cut, nobody will usually notice, until heavy rains start to fall and test their theory that whatever it is they ignored or approved wasn’t really consequential to the environment.
If obvious impacts of developments, such as the effect on traffic, are somehow ignored and not given prior attention or solutions prepared to ensure a smooth transition, then we can only imagine how much worse it is when it comes to less obvious impacts of scenarios such as “what happens to the area if it rains a lot”?
If the environmental impact is determined scientifically, drainage designs adjusted accordingly, and the related project implemented and maintained properly, there should be less reason for the public to doubt the local government when things like last weekend’s floods suddenly come as a surprise. Perhaps it was just an unfortunate confluence of heavy rains and high tides. However, if there is no reason given to trust in the competence and capabilities of our government officials, then they can be sure of who the people will blame when things go terribly wrong.*
