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Natural Disasters
Super typhoons. Earthquakes. Floods. Eruptions. These are just
some of the ways nature unleashes her tremendous power, a power
that can bring about the destruction of entire cities and invite
death into the lives of humankind.
One of the main elements involved when a natural disaster
strikes and brings about or causes poverty is the inability to cope
with it. The poor simply lack the sufficient finances to protect
themselves from the incoming and inevitable displays of
nature’s wrath. They also do not have the financial strength
to rebuild quickly and to recover their livelihoods.
Typhoons and Flooding
The Philippines, situated right beside the Pacific Ocean, is a
prime target of powerful  super typhoons and titanic storms. Every year, from
around early June to late January, the rainy season brings an
average of 20 typhoons that lash out crops and wash away precious
topsoil. Such utter destruction was demonstrated during the latter
part of 1998 as the super typhoon Iliang (internationally named
Zeb) hit the Visayas and Luzon regions of the Philippines with
winds at 240 kph and gusts registering at 195 kph. Floodwaters rose
neck-height, and sank low-lying areas in the country. Power was out
for more than three days in the provinces, and traffic mounted in
the cities. After the storm, the death toll mounted to 81 and
injuries at 59, while 1 million people were left homeless.
What are the results of such forces? Although the citizenry from
the middle class above can well afford protection, those living
near and below the poverty line certainly cannot. Powerful winds
rushing at a hundred miles per hour have the power to literally
blow away the shanties of those dwelling in the slums. The
continuous sheets of rain pouring down from black skies creates
rushing floods that bring away the wooden shacks of those slums
located near the Pasig River and other  bodies of water.
The poor have no protection against such awesome forces. When
the winds come, the aluminum roofs over their heads are blown away.
As the floods arrive, the slum dwellers save what they can because
such raging waters do not have mercy for anyone. Unfortunately,
that only counts for the property damage alone. Hundreds upon
thousands of lives have been lost due to the relentless onslaught
of typhoons that batter the country.
After such an assault, it would be extremely difficult to
rebuild everything because of the tremendous amount of damage that
has been done. As a result, people plunge deeper into hardship and
suffering. Many are left without homes, jobs … and lives.
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