Mindanaotoday.com | Oro tests flood warning devices
By: Uriel Quilinguing
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – The water level at Cagayan de Oro River has not gone up Friday, November 18, even with an inter-tropical convergence zone weather disturbance advisory, but riverside residents heard the blaring of early flood warning devices (EFWD).
Nick Jabagat, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department (CDRRMD) head, in a statement the City Information Office issued, said EFWD sirens in three areas sounded because these were set up, the only way to test them.
Jabagat said the wailing noise should not cause panic among residents because that indicated maintenance work on EFWDs has already been done.
These sound-creating devices were mounted at the rooftop of City Hall, Balulang (Kagay-an Bridge), and Consolacion (Kauswagan-Puntod Bridge) eight years ago, thus the need to check whether these are still operational.
EFWD experts say the blaring sound should not exceed 70 decibels and to last for three minutes to effectively reach targeted residents but not too loud that would be destructive to the eardrum.
The maintenance check was done after the head of Mindanao PAGASA (Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration) Regional Services Division, on Wednesday, November 16, urged local officials to be ready for “Christmas typhoons” within three months.
Aside from Cagayan de Oro River, CDRRMD has also been keeping an eye on six other water catchment areas, that of the river basins of Agusan, Cugman, Iponan, Tagpangi and Umalag as well as Bigaan Creek – often the cause of urban flooding.
In 2011, Super Typhoon Sendong (Washi) which lasted for a week caused about P12 billion destruction in Cagayan de Oro (including Iligan City and other parts of the county) and killed about 1,500 persons in its path. It made landfall evening of December 16.
Earlier, San Simon and Pagatpat villages (Iponan Bridge) in Cagayan de Oro, and Nicdao, Baungon (Maasin Bridge) in nearby Bukidnon were included for EFWD installation.
The EFWDs was part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that was signed last January 23, 2014 by four parties: City Government of Cagayan de Oro, Department of Science and Technology-10, PAGASA Central Office, and the Korean National Disaster Management Institute.
Stream-level sensors and automated rain gauges were part of the MOU which called for the institutionalization of a Flash Flood Alert System (FFAS) in Cagayan de Oro and nearby areas. (MT)
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