Wellness for Peace Education on Climate Change: 12/19/11

Monday, December 19, 2011

Philippines: Senators urge improvement of disaster plan - Yahoo!

A resident retrieves belongings from the debris in a subdivision hit by flash floods brought by Typhoon Washi in Iligan city, southern Philippines December 19, 2011. Disaster agencies on Monday rushed to deliver body bags, food, water, and medicine to crowded evacuation centres in the southern Philippines as officials considered digging mass graves for hundreds killed in weekend flash floods. REUTERS/Erik De Castro (PHILIPPINES - Tags: DISASTER ENVIRONMENT)

Senators urge improvement of disaster plan - Yahoo!: "Senator Edgardo Angara pointed out that the national weather bureau may have incorrectly estimated the amount of rainfall from “Sendong” (international name “Washi”).

Reports from a joint weather monitoring mission of U.S. and Japan saw rain falling at around 50 mm per hour while Pagasa estimated only 10-25 mm per hour of rainfall.

"Clearly, we still need to improve our disaster management and risk reduction systems," Angara said. "Government must push for concerted effort not only in improving our forecasting technologies but also in seeking the help of other nations, whenever we lack the infrastructure and expertise.""

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Philippines: With morgues full, Philippine flood victims buried

With morgues full, Philippine flood victims buried - Yahoo!: ""We've had flooding before but nothing like this," Cruz, the Iligan mayor said, recalling floods in the early 1950s. "We have a good drainage system but it as simply overwhelmed. The rainfall fell heavily on the mountains and this flowed down to two of our river systems and they overflowed and swept away houses and covered the highway and residential areas."
About 143,000 people were affected in 13 southern and central provinces, including 45,000 who fled to evacuation centers. About 7,000 houses were swept away, destroyed or damaged, the Office of Civil Defense said.
An estimated 35 percent of evacuees are children, said Trevor Clark, head of UNICEF in the southern Mindanao region. Running water and hygiene were major concerns, followed by a lack of clothing, blankets and even shoes for young children, he said."

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Tip: Avoid nonsterilized tap water as precaution to Brain-eating tap water amoeba

Brain-eating tap water amoeba kills at least two in Louisiana - National Human Rights | Examiner.com: "*

PRECAUTION:

> Refrain from activities in warm, untreated or poorly treated water, especially when water levels are low and temperatures are high.

> Hold the nose shut or use nose clips when swimming in warm fresh water.

> Avoid digging or stirring up underwater sediments while submerged in shallow, warm freshwater areas."

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