CHECKLIST: What mayors should do 48 hours before a typhoon makes landfall

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The hours between a typhoon’s entry into the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) and its landfall are a critical time for disaster risk reduction and management.

Below are some critical preparedness actions based on the Oplan Listo (Operation Plan Alert) of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) that local governments should be taking hours before the typhoon hits land. 

The 1991 Local Government Code and the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 mandate local government units to be at the frontline of emergency measures during disasters.

The minimum critical activities that LGUs under Charlie or Red alert should be doing in affected areas are:

• Secure power, water supply, and communications
• Start preemptive evacuation
• Announce forced evacuation
• Prepare list of evacuees
• Distribute relief packs and conduct mass feeding
• Stop traffic in landslide-prone areas

Oplan Listo uses a disaster preparedness manual that provides mayors and other local government disaster management agencies a checklist of what should be done before, during, and after typhoons.

The manual includes flowcharts that correspond to 3 phases of critical preparedness actions – Alpha, Bravo, and Charlie. It also provides a tropical cyclone information board and reference boxes and minimum actions to guide mayors.

 – Rappler.com

Check if your mayors are taking these minimum preparedness activities that LGUs should be enforcing in areas expected to be affected by typhoons. Tell us how prepared your LGUs are through email (move.ph@rappler.com) or Twitter (@moveph).