“People took their VCRs with them,” recalls Server Moosavee, who was living at Sea View at the time. “My wife and I stayed put because we knew from our experience in Bangladesh that the Tsunami wouldn’t come. The birds were still in the trees.” Indeed, this nugget of folk wisdom stood the couple in good stead. Birds will fly in a panic during a storm. Aside from this observation, what else should people worry about as Cyclone Phet approaches? We bring you the trailer.
Stock up
According to Attaullah Mengal, deputy director of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority, the rains in Gwadar have broken all past records. More than five feet of water, in some cases, filled up buildings, which poses a serious threat of drowning for little children.
Similar heavy rainfall is expected in Karachi and across Sindh within 24 hours, he said while talking to The Express Tribune on Saturday evening.
“These rains are predicted to last, nonstop, till Monday,” he said, warning that people can get stranded in their homes due to the water that might accumulate around their houses and on the roads.
“People should store food supplies for at least three days,” Mengal advised, “Drinking water should also be stored since electricity breakdowns are expected which in turn would affect water supplies.”
He also recommended stocking up on basic medicines, especially for those diseases that spread during rains such as diarrhoea, fever, malaria and common infections.
All the people living in unplanned settlements are advised to move to safer buildings, said Mengal. While people in squatter settlements have to fear torrential rains, those in cemented houses have to be careful of groundwater that can rise to dangerous heights during the cyclone.
Residents near the coast are safe as long as they are on elevated ground and have proper shelter. But for houses that are on the ground floor, rainwater can accumulate and rise quite high.
Advice for car owners
For a change, it is the Suzuki Mehran that will be smirking its way past expensive, automatic cars stuck in rain-clogged streets.
According to Fahad Abdul Qayyum, a mechanic in Gizri, who has been working for 10 years, most of the new car models are ill-designed for wading in rainwater. “A Mehran can start even while it is stuck in water,” he said, “While automatic cars can get completely ruined if the water reaches their ECOs (computerised chips).”
He explained that most of the car models made after the year 2000 have ECOs, which are usually set quite low in the vehicle. If water seeps into these chips, the car will not start even after it has been towed or pushed out of the water. “This is not the case with older cars,” Qayyum said.
The general procedure to restart a car that has stalled on watery roads is to check all the plugs in the engine and dry them out. Once the water is dried up, the car can be started. However, in the case of the automatics, repairs can take several days, and in some cases, even months.
“Last year a brand new Honda Accord CL9 was brought in after the rains,” the mechanic recalled, “All its repairs, including rewiring and a new ECO, came up to Rs120,000.”
Depending on the car models, ECOs can cost anywhere from Rs40,000 to Rs90,000. Especially during the monsoons, when prices of these spare parts skyrocket.
Business also booms for car mechanics during the rainy seasons. “We get so busy that we don’t even have the time to eat,” Qayyum commented. “We barely finish with one car when another customer comes in with his car. In these cases, we only tend to regular customers.”
Stay home
When people hear about rainstorms, scores of Karachiites rush to the sea. “It’s very peculiar that our people go towards the rough sea when they should actually be staying away from it,” said Major Zafar Ahmed, the Pakistan Coast Guards PRO.
According to the initial information received by the authorities, the waves could have been nine metres high. “But now as the cyclone has weakened tremendously, the waves will be about five feet high and they will not wreak much damage in Karachi,” clarified Maj Ahmed, but he warns that the rains expected may cause damage, especially to squatter settlements and slums. “The sewerage lines will be blocked and the roads will be flooded.”
He advised everyone to stay in their houses and not to bathe in the rain. “There are forecasts of gusting winds and heavy rainfall that can break electricity wires, branches and even trees that can hit and hurt people. People should enjoy light showers, not rainstorms like this one.”
Shocks and sparks
Do not go near electrical wires or plugs if you are wet, warns Ijazuddin, an electric supervisor. “Even the area of electrical distribution in the house should be completely dry, otherwise there is the fear of ignition of sparks or electrocution,” he explained.
Even generators are not safe if they are out on your porch. “Generators need to be covered by keeping them under a shade or a canopy because if they collect water, you cannot possibly use them.”
What about our electrical appliances, especially televisions? “The best thing to do is cover your appliances with plastic sheets then they will be safe from water and the humidity in the air.”
Meanwhile, KESC issued similar warnings. People should stay away from pools of rainwater since there is danger of electrocution, according to a press release issued on Saturday.
Residents are also advised to inform KESC when they spot fallen or broken wires.
The press release also cautioned that rain-related emergencies often require shutting down the electricity supply, which is often the first step in maintenance and repairs. Repairs can take up to two to three hours easily and, the press release requested, “during that time citizens need to demonstrate patience.” Keeping in view the possibility of phone lines breaking down, a wireless communication system has also been arranged so that people can get in touch with KESC employees.
Published in the Express Tribune, June 6th, 2010.
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