A YouTibe video misused a 2015 photo of tidal bore waves in China, misleadingly claiming it showed a storm surge in the Bicol region ahead of the landfall of supertyphoon Pepito (international name: Man-yi) last Nov. 16.
The video posted on Nov. 16 by the YouTube channel Unstoppable Weather featured a thumbnail with multiple images supposedly portraying typhoon-related events, including one specifically showing a “storm surge” in the region as stated in its headline:
Philippines now! Super Typhoon Pepito triggers tsunami-like storm surges in Bicol Region
A reverse image shows that the photo of waves used in the thumbnail originates from a tidal bore surge along the Qiantang River in Hangzhou, China. Captured by Imagechina Limited on Aug. 13, 2015, the original, watermarked image was contributed to the stock photo website Alamy, accompanied by the caption:
Visitors and local residents run as waves from a tidal bore surge past a barrier on the banks of Qiantang River in Hangzhou [C]ity, east China's Zhejiang province, 31 August 2015. The famous tidal waves in Qiantang River have attracted many onlookers in Hangzhou city, in east China's Zhejiang Province, on Monday (31 August 2015). The best time to view the stunning waves is around July 17th on the Chinese lunar calendar (usually September in the Western calendar) every year.
A watermark-free version of the same photo was featured in a Sept. 1, 2015 article on MailOnline, an English newspaper website.
Various photos and clips of real storm surges, in contrast to the misleading image used in the clickbait video, were published by local and foreign media outlets.
One authentic image, captured by Charism Sayat of Agence France-Presse on Nov. 16, showed massive waves crashing against a seawall in Legazpi City, Albay ahead of Pepito’s expected landfall. This photo was featured in publications such as ABS-CBN News, The Manila Times and The Hindu, an Indian newspaper.
Clips of storm surges in the Bicol region taken by netizens were also reported by GMA News and Teleradyo Serbisyo.
State weather bureau Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said Pepito made landfall at 9:40 p.m. on Nov. 16 in the vicinity of Panganiban, Catanduanes.
Earlier that day, it issued a storm surge warning, cautioning about the “possibility of life-threatening inundation from rising (seawater) along with high waves in the low-lying coastal communities” in some provinces, including parts of the Bicol region.
PAGASA characterizes a storm surge as the abnormal rise in sea during tropical cyclones or typhoons caused by strong winds and low atmospheric pressures. “As the tropical cyclone approaches the coast, (these) winds push the ocean water over the low-lying coastal areas, which can lead to flooding,” it said.
On the other hand, National Geographic describes a tidal bore as a rare natural phenomenon where a strong tide pushes upstream against a river’s current, typically occurring where a river flows into an ocean or sea.
The world’s largest tidal bore occurs on the Qiantang River in Hangzhou, China, where waves can reach heights of 9 meters and speeds of up to 40 kph, National Geographic added.
The clickbait video from Unstoppable Weather, created on Dec. 29, 2021, has garnered 651,062 views, 4,700 likes and 467 comments. (VG)