Unusual Tacloban High Tide?
For now, maybe.
But it looks like that's the new normal our planet is headed towards.
Here's the story:
I went early to Tacloban's Save More (near the pier) for some urgent errands. As in I was there before it opened. Done at 9:37AM, I was out to ride a jeep, and saw this:
That scene could look normal to the unfamiliar or unconcerned. But having been in and out of this city for 11 years now, I just knew something was not quite the usual.
At first I thought "parang lumiit ang kalsada". Then it quickly turned into a bit of alarm and amusement. I told myself "ata, bakit umakyat na ang dagat, sasakay din ng jeep"?
Anupangaba! Sugod Pinoy Traveler! Osyosohin alamin bakit kay-ano nasugad! Da!
Total puzzler (to me at least). On a hot sunny morning, why would there be a 'flood'? It was not like that years ago. Well, things change - for the worst, very unfortunately!
That's no ordinary flooding. Look at the water, it is clear clean green and blue. Not a usual baha dahil sa ulan. That is the sea water obviously breaching its normal levels.
Interestingly (or should I say astonishingly?), life goes on for the Taclobanons. Alang!
To the right, and back of camera is the Port of Tacloban south gate. You can see on foreground, there are pavement markings like "EXIT" and bus parking slots (yellow).
Oh, those bigger outrigger boats are your commute rides to Amandayehan and San Antonio in Basey. Their services have lately peaked due to the San Juanico closure!
Of course you would recognize the McDo branch at left. I have by-and-by mentioned that store in the past, like here and here. It's that same McDonald's often mentioned right after Yolanda/Haiyan. It was totally submerged after waves engulfed this area.
Anyway..,
I asked some people who were in the area, if this kind of "flood" is common. Almost all replies were: "bag-o la" [only lately], and "kon kadayaw la" [only during a full moon].
I did a quick-research and found that the moon's involvement is not superstition pala!
Spring Tides - occur during 'new moon' and 'full moon' phases. The earth, moon and the sun are aligned, pulling the ocean's water in the same direction. This results into the highest high tides and lowest low tides of a lunar cycle. Nosebleed na but keri pa!
27MAY was new moon. Today was 29MAY. So, pwedeng me epek pa si spring tide.
Perigee - a point in the moon's elliptical orbit where it comes closest to earth. When the moon is at perigee, gravitational pull is strongest, resulting in a larger tidal bulge. Ibang bulge yan dun sa ano mo, umayos ka! But yes, bukol/kumpol ng tubig sa earth.
The moon's perigee for this month was on 25MAY - just four days ago. This perigee position purportedly still had a strong gravitational influence - creating higher tides.
At me tawag pala sa nagkatugmang 2 scenarios above, "Perigean Spring Tide".
Thus, the tide was unusually high today due to an almost Perigean Spring Tide. Not real, yet already high. My search says, water would've been highest on 26MAY 0618H.
I even shot a video clip of that scene pala. I'll put that here soon.
Di pa ako tapos...
I got into thinking, it's not as if only recently that the moon passed its perigee, and it is not as if now lang nagka-new moon or full moon for that matter. Monthly yan 'no?
But why did that overflowing of the sea seem unusual, not only to me, but even to a local media crew? I saw them stop to take pictures too, when they saw me doing it!
What might have changed over time? Bakit umaapaw na ang dagat sa pier ngayon, na hindi naman dati umaapaw - on a sunny day, with no rains, even from prior days?
Ang naisip ko, not so much on pollution or destruction of natural barriers in Tacloban or nearby areas. Kung pollution, it wouldn't so much raise the water level here as to overflow. Not yet anyway. Kung natural barriers na sinira o nasira, wala pang ganun.
This is Cancabato Bay, freely flowing in and out of San Juanico strait, so far.
Could it be Land Subsidence? Ta, if so, matatakluban na han kalawdan it Tacloban. A common urban area issue. Hopefully not in our lifetime, but it will be bad anyway.
I heard it is an unstoppable thing. More on mitigation lang ang pwede nating gawin.
Well, pwede naman wala nang mitigate-mitigate na yan. We will just soon find that, McDo Rizal Ave., will become the very first "swim-up McDonald's Store" in the world.
Hay mother earth...
But it looks like that's the new normal our planet is headed towards.
Here's the story:
I went early to Tacloban's Save More (near the pier) for some urgent errands. As in I was there before it opened. Done at 9:37AM, I was out to ride a jeep, and saw this:
At first I thought "parang lumiit ang kalsada". Then it quickly turned into a bit of alarm and amusement. I told myself "ata, bakit umakyat na ang dagat, sasakay din ng jeep"?
Anupangaba! Sugod Pinoy Traveler! Osyosohin alamin bakit kay-ano nasugad! Da!
That's no ordinary flooding. Look at the water, it is clear clean green and blue. Not a usual baha dahil sa ulan. That is the sea water obviously breaching its normal levels.
Interestingly (or should I say astonishingly?), life goes on for the Taclobanons. Alang!
Oh, those bigger outrigger boats are your commute rides to Amandayehan and San Antonio in Basey. Their services have lately peaked due to the San Juanico closure!
Of course you would recognize the McDo branch at left. I have by-and-by mentioned that store in the past, like here and here. It's that same McDonald's often mentioned right after Yolanda/Haiyan. It was totally submerged after waves engulfed this area.
Anyway..,
I asked some people who were in the area, if this kind of "flood" is common. Almost all replies were: "bag-o la" [only lately], and "kon kadayaw la" [only during a full moon].
I did a quick-research and found that the moon's involvement is not superstition pala!
Spring Tides - occur during 'new moon' and 'full moon' phases. The earth, moon and the sun are aligned, pulling the ocean's water in the same direction. This results into the highest high tides and lowest low tides of a lunar cycle. Nosebleed na but keri pa!
27MAY was new moon. Today was 29MAY. So, pwedeng me epek pa si spring tide.
Perigee - a point in the moon's elliptical orbit where it comes closest to earth. When the moon is at perigee, gravitational pull is strongest, resulting in a larger tidal bulge. Ibang bulge yan dun sa ano mo, umayos ka! But yes, bukol/kumpol ng tubig sa earth.
The moon's perigee for this month was on 25MAY - just four days ago. This perigee position purportedly still had a strong gravitational influence - creating higher tides.
At me tawag pala sa nagkatugmang 2 scenarios above, "Perigean Spring Tide".
Thus, the tide was unusually high today due to an almost Perigean Spring Tide. Not real, yet already high. My search says, water would've been highest on 26MAY 0618H.
Di pa ako tapos...
I got into thinking, it's not as if only recently that the moon passed its perigee, and it is not as if now lang nagka-new moon or full moon for that matter. Monthly yan 'no?
But why did that overflowing of the sea seem unusual, not only to me, but even to a local media crew? I saw them stop to take pictures too, when they saw me doing it!
What might have changed over time? Bakit umaapaw na ang dagat sa pier ngayon, na hindi naman dati umaapaw - on a sunny day, with no rains, even from prior days?
Ang naisip ko, not so much on pollution or destruction of natural barriers in Tacloban or nearby areas. Kung pollution, it wouldn't so much raise the water level here as to overflow. Not yet anyway. Kung natural barriers na sinira o nasira, wala pang ganun.
This is Cancabato Bay, freely flowing in and out of San Juanico strait, so far.
Could it be Land Subsidence? Ta, if so, matatakluban na han kalawdan it Tacloban. A common urban area issue. Hopefully not in our lifetime, but it will be bad anyway.
I heard it is an unstoppable thing. More on mitigation lang ang pwede nating gawin.
Well, pwede naman wala nang mitigate-mitigate na yan. We will just soon find that, McDo Rizal Ave., will become the very first "swim-up McDonald's Store" in the world.
Hay mother earth...
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