Geological Factors That Determine the Destructive Nature of Typhoon Quinta
Geological Factors that contributed to the destructive nature of Typhhon Quinta that hit Iloilo and Capiz last month and measure to address these problems: A Reaction Paper
With 52,172 families (251,152 persons) affected, many Filipinos celebrated their recent holiday vacations with grief as Typhoon Quinta hit the Phlippines destroying millions of properties and owing 15 people their lives. Millions of pesos worth of agricultural crops and infrastructures were also damaged in 544 barangays of the 40 municipalities and four component cities of Negros Occidental, Iloilo, Capiz, and Aklan.
Typhoon Quinta brought more devastation to many towns in Iloilo and Capiz compared to Typhoon Frank as far as flood water is concerned. Waters from Suague River which originates from the mountains of Janiuay and Jalaur River in Calinog engulfed towns along its way towards the sea especially after combining as one river in the Municipality of Mina even though Tigum and Aganan Rivers did not overflow its banks. Towns of Pototan, Barotac Nuevo, Dingle, Dueñas, Dumangas, and Zarraga located downstream were devastated as the waters of the combined rivers made flood water levels relatively higher than that of Typhoon Frank’s.
The natural recipe for flooding is that a day before a heavy downpour is hours of light rain as a forward effect of an incoming typhoon which will saturate the upper ground portion. When the typhoon comes in bringing with it heavy rains at 20 mm/hr., the ground cannot accept anymore the additional heavy downpour. So instead of a 9 percent penetration with 91 percent run off of overload flow, it will now be 1 percent penetration with 99 percent of the heavy rain as storm water runs off, hence a heavy surge of water across the land which we experience as flood. Now what hit most towns north of Pavia appears to be heavy rains of about 15 to 20 mm/hour.
Trees play a very vital role together with watersheds in relation to flooding. The leaves of trees act as cushion
With 52,172 families (251,152 persons) affected, many Filipinos celebrated their recent holiday vacations with grief as Typhoon Quinta hit the Phlippines destroying millions of properties and owing 15 people their lives. Millions of pesos worth of agricultural crops and infrastructures were also damaged in 544 barangays of the 40 municipalities and four component cities of Negros Occidental, Iloilo, Capiz, and Aklan.
Typhoon Quinta brought more devastation to many towns in Iloilo and Capiz compared to Typhoon Frank as far as flood water is concerned. Waters from Suague River which originates from the mountains of Janiuay and Jalaur River in Calinog engulfed towns along its way towards the sea especially after combining as one river in the Municipality of Mina even though Tigum and Aganan Rivers did not overflow its banks. Towns of Pototan, Barotac Nuevo, Dingle, Dueñas, Dumangas, and Zarraga located downstream were devastated as the waters of the combined rivers made flood water levels relatively higher than that of Typhoon Frank’s.
The natural recipe for flooding is that a day before a heavy downpour is hours of light rain as a forward effect of an incoming typhoon which will saturate the upper ground portion. When the typhoon comes in bringing with it heavy rains at 20 mm/hr., the ground cannot accept anymore the additional heavy downpour. So instead of a 9 percent penetration with 91 percent run off of overload flow, it will now be 1 percent penetration with 99 percent of the heavy rain as storm water runs off, hence a heavy surge of water across the land which we experience as flood. Now what hit most towns north of Pavia appears to be heavy rains of about 15 to 20 mm/hour.
Trees play a very vital role together with watersheds in relation to flooding. The leaves of trees act as cushion
References: http://www.thedailyguardian.net/index.php/iloilo-opinion/22314-why-the-unusual-flood-from-quinta http://www.ugnayan.com/ph/gov/PIA/article/2SXZ