Behindhand Regrets

Photos from Rappler.com

It was then a sense of despair, cheerless when disastrous tragedy happen on November 8, 2013, leaving a trail of raging death toll and ramping devastation to Philippines barrelled through most of Visayas. However, what made the less fortunate people from coastal areas more misfortunate?

Television forecasters always says there’s a “storm surge”, a new and rare word for a typical rural individual, ignorance and unconsciousness dominates to public’s conception. But, it has no time for discussion… Yolanda is rushly coming.

If only they could ask… What these words really mean? How does it related to more famous disaster tsunami? to Tidal Wave? there individual characteristics?

No treatment comes before damage. After the tragic event of Typhoon Yolanda, flood of issues related to what they called “storm surge” emerge. Activist lawyer- Antonio Oposas’s published article says his seeking for Pilipino name for storm surge, which came up then to be “silakbo”.

 Storm surge is an offshore rise of water associated with a low pressure weather system, typically tropical cyclones and strong extra tropical cyclones , a property of hurricane. The impact on surge of the low pressure associated with intense storms is minimal in comparison to the water being forced toward the shore by the wind. When combined with normal tides, the surge can create water levels 15 feet or more about the mean water level. This rise in water can cause severe flooding in coastal areas. Way back 2005, at least 1500 death when Hurricane Katrina hits Philippines, as the result of storm surge.

Then how related is it to tidal wave? A storm surge is a rise in water along the shore caused by a storm while a tidal wave refers to the wave motion of tides. This incident is caused by the gravitational interactions between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Tidal wave is often used to refer to tsunamis; however, this reference is incorrect, as tsunamis have nothing to do with tides.

Tidal waves are more predictable than tsunamis for you would know it by means of tides but Tsunamis are not. Disturbances like earthquakes, volcanic eruption and other underwater explosion cause tsunamis, which is unpredictable that you would not anticipate. It consists of a series of waves with periods ranging from minutes to hours, arriving in a so-called "wave train".

While everyday wind waves have a wavelength (from crest to crest) of about 100 metres (330 ft) and a height of roughly 2 metres (6.6 ft), a tsunami in the deep ocean has a much larger wavelength of up to 200 kilometres (120 mi) that can swallow an entire city. A tsunami can occur in any tidal state and even at low tide can still inundate coastal areas.

If only we can bring back the pass, to educate them with these essential ideas. Maybe we can save them from unconsciousness and ignorance. Maybe we can save their drowning hopes in the waves of tears and blood.

Sources:

http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/surge/ 

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