INSIDE THE DANGER ZONE
Lahar flows threaten to bury barangays
GUINOBATAN, Albay – Twelve years ago, more than 1,000 people died here following a massive lahar flow brought about by typhoon ‘Reming.’
GUINOBATAN, Albay – Twelve years ago, more than 1,000 people died here following a massive lahar flow brought about by typhoon “Reming.”
Gullies created by mudflows from Mayon Volcano served as grim reminders of the destruction and local officials wasted no time to order residents to flee to their designated evacuation centers.
Henry Ocsinola, the municipal disaster officer, kept a close watch on the water flowing on the street while on their way to a lahar flow danger zone in Barangay Maninila which sits on the foot of the volcano, about six kilometers from its crater.
“If it turns dark brown or black, that means trouble, a very big trouble,” said Ocsinola in the local dialect.
The disaster official and companions waded through the same color of water while retrieving bodies back in 2006.
Ocsinola had been dispatched by Mayor Anne Ongjoco to monitor the situation after volcanologists issued a lahar warning at 10:30 a.m.
He rode one of four media vehicles who accompanied him for the 15-minute ride through rough roads, carefully avoiding the big rocks and boulders.
“They all came from the Mayon Volcano. Just imagine what those ‘Reming’ victims suffered that time,” said Ocsinola.
Many had left the barangay following Reming, but some stayed and were employed by a quarrying company collecting sands and rocks.
One of the residents is Glenda Paliza who had taken refuge inside a small hall. She said she was waiting for a neighbor that would bring her and her daughter to the evacuation center.
Paliza said she had to go back to their house to get additional clothes for her other children who are already in the evacuation center.
A few men stood near another gully observing the water level.
The barangay has been identified as a lahar and flash flood danger zone.
“There was already a study that if huge volume of water similar to the Reming occured, this barangay will be wiped out, will disappear in the map,” said Ocsinola.
Barangay Councilor Jesus Pichuela said he witnessed the destruction in 2006. “This gully used to be a plantation of coconut. But the cascading lahar coming from Mayon was redirected here and that gully which you first past and carved it that way,” said Pichuela.
The gully is more that 20 meters wide with boulders visible on each side.
Toward the end of the 45-minute visit, Ocsinola cut short the interview.
“You have to wrap up your interview,” he said, pointing to the big rocks being carried by the flow.
Several minutes later, a series of thunder-like loud sounds reverberated in the air.
“Heard that sound? That’s the sound of boulders cascading,” he said. “It’s time to go. It is no longer safe here.”
A few days ago, volcanologist Paul Alanis said that one of the signs of approaching lahar flow is sounds of boulders rumbling. “If you hear that sound, you have to evacuate as quickly as possible. That is the sound of boulders cascading down the slopes of the volcano,” Alanis said.
On the way back to Guinobatan town proper, heavy rains started to fall again, prompting operators of heavy equipment to move them to higher grounds.
Floodwater on the first gully started to rise and the road in Barangay Masarawag heading toward the town proper was already flooded.
Back in the municipal hall, Ocsinola reported that floodwater in both gullies have quickly risen. “It’s good that we have already left the place. The floodwater is already high,” he said.