HINATUAN, Surigao del Sur – The strong earthquake that upended the lives of thousands of residents in Eastern Mindanao will not only affect the present but may also pose an impact on the future as far as weather forecasting is concerned.

This, after the state weather bureau PAGASA’s Doppler radar monitoring tower was assessed as “structurally unsafe” by a team from the Department of Public Works and Highways.

Huge cracks appeared both in and out of the building following the strong tremor.

Alan Ribo, PAGASA’s Chief Meteorological Officer in Hinatuan, said the team has initially recommended that the building be condemned and abandoned – a move that may affect climatological data and research if it pushes through.

“Historically nandito ang data eh so sayang talaga ang pinaghirapan ng decades (na mabuo). At the same time yung mga employees natin so posibleng madisperse sa individual stations in the coming days or months,” he said.

The Hinatuan Station is located along the coast. Across it are homes in Barangay Aquino, another coastal area, where homes have either tilted or completely collapsed after the strong tremor. The local government says some areas, especially those along the coast, are especially vulnerable particularly to liquefaction.

The station serves as a reference point for weather systems that form in the Pacific Ocean. While no final decision has come out as of writing, should its operations come to a halt following the DPWH recommendation, other stations like those in Bohol, Agusan and Davao will now have to step in to possibly become reference points.

“Isang challenge po ito dahil importante talaga sa weather and radar monitoring dahil makikita natin yung circuation ng clouds, yung volume of rain, yung tracking kung saan papunta so very important ang radar.”

“Buti na lang nandiyan ang neighboring [radar] stations. ('Yung Bohol at Guiuan) Partially makikita yung mga nasa north of hinatuan, east of hinatuan. Pero pag may obstruction na dito sa part ng south of Hinatuan, posibleng ang makakita niyan, ibang station na.”

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The more practical impact of the possible condemnation of the building, according to Ribo, is on construction projects like bridges and buildings.

“Maraming kumukuha ng weather certification dahil may projects sila like bridges and construction of bulding. So importante sa kanila para maka request sila ng extension ng project, kelangan nila ng daily rainfall data from Hinatuan.”

Should the Hinatuan Station close, projects will have to seek weather certifications from other stations which may not be entirely accurate.

“Yung mga projects from Surigao del sur, pwedeng kumuha ng data from Surigao City. Pero yung rainfall, iba kasi ang climate type doon so magkakaroon pa rin ng discrepancy sa rainfall data. So possibleng malakas ang ulan doon tapos dito mahina pa. So hindi kayang ivalidate ng rainfall data yung discontiuance ng project,” Ribo explains.

Until a final decision decision is made, Ribo says everything remains a possibility.

While no instructions have been given to Ribo so far, he says he remains committed to manning the station and ensuring the continuity of data that are of great importance especially to those in the field of research and weather forecasting.