Blogpost 2: Change is Inevitable

What do Hurricane Allen, Hurricane Camille, Super Typhoon Haiyan, and Super Typhoon Tip all have in common? They were all storms of great magnitude that killed tens of thousands of people. Because of their massive size and structure, they were considered as the four most powerful storms in recorded history. But have you ever wondered how these storms are formed or how they can bring so much destruction to a certain area?

There are three distinct levels of progression for a storm to become a hurricane. The first stage will be a tropical disturbance, then a tropical depression and finally a tropical storm. Once the storm's winds reach 74 mph, it will then be classified as a hurricane and will now be categorized from numbers 1-5.

Depending on where they occur, people call these storms by other names. For example, in the Atlantic or Eastern Pacific they are called "hurricanes." In the Western North Pacific they are known as a "typhoon," while in the South Pacific and Indian Ocean they are referred to as "cyclones." In meteorological terms, it is known as a "tropical cyclone" and they are all formed the same way.

In an article entitled Hurricane and Typhoon by Richard Anthes, he explained how tropical cyclones are formed. He said and I quote, "The primary energy source for a tropical cyclone is the latent heat released when water vapor condenses... tropical cyclones, therefore, form only over oceans with water temperatures of at least 27° C (80° F)." Cyclones are also formed from simple thunderstorms. These type of storms can produce dangerous winds, heavy to torrential rains and massive flooding which may result in tremendous loss of property and lives in the areas affected. 

In the recent years, the Philippines was pondered by powerful storms that were beyond our capacity to handle. A lot of people have made their conclusions that we are now experiencing the effects of global warming or climate change. In an article by rappler.com entitled "Stop this climate crisis madness," they posted the speech of Philippine Climate Change Commissioner, Naderev Sano, at the United Nations climate summit in Warsaw, Poland. Sano said and I quote, "Typhoons such as Haiyan and its impacts represent a sobering reminder to the international community that we cannot afford to delay climate action."  The world will see more destruction like of Katrina and Haiyan. These type of disasters, though, can be predicted. While it may not get any better, this will give us an idea and enough time to prepare more efficiently for storms of this magnitude. We cannot say, "we didn't know."


Tropical cyclones are inevitable especially due to the geographical location of our country, but that is not an excuse for us not to be aware of the reality that we are now living in a world prone to natural disasters. Yes, we cannot stop climate change, but we can do something to reduce its effects. The next generation needs us. What will their world be like by then if we do not act now? Let us not be ignorant and start doing our part.