Meaner than the millennium bug!
Typhoon Milenyo (international codename Xangsane) hit Metro Manila yesterday. It was the strongest typhoon that directly hit Metro Manila in a long time. We had heavy downfalls and flooding but not this strong wind. It was good (really GOOD!) that PAG-ASA already announced the typhoon the previous day declaring NO CLASSES in all school levels. Of course their announcement was also meant for people to prepare but I don’t really know if people prepared or just had the wait and see attitude like myself.
I felt the strong wind very early in the morning and already decided not to go to work even if they haven’t suspended work in our office yet (they would usually tell us late, we had to get to the office first and if the weather is really bad they dismiss us) but they were dismissed early too. Good thing! My decision not leave the house was right after all. However, I was still hoping that the typhoon would not really be that strong or that it would change course but around midday it became really strong! There was no electricity but we were all safe at home while we could hear the strong angry winds outside. At one point I went up to my room which had windows on three sides and I could actually feel the walls vibrating and the wind slamming on my windows. I could hear things flying around and hitting walls and roofs, Trees swaying with the wind, canopies and iron roofs making noises.
When I peaked at my window, I couldn’t see much of the damage being done by the typhoon, all I can see were the trees swaying strongly and the leaves, twigs, papers, plastics and other light objects being carried by the wind. I've seen some of those in other typhoons but I’m pretty sure that damage from this one was going to be big!
Even if we had no radio nor TV when the typhoon was raging, I know that this was one mean storm!
Late in the afternoon, the wind calmed a bit and a little later I fell asleep while reading a book. Actually it was getting dark and I was finding it hard to read so I dozed off. We already had electricity when I woke up but it was late for the early news. I had to wait longer to watch the news and I was right, the damage was great! So many trees were cut and uprooted, so many electric posts fell, so many billboards torn down with some of the heavy steels hitting vehicles and homes, so many concrete walls fell, so many roofs flew, so many soils eroded, so many people lost their homes, so many lives lost…
Today, the sun came out early. When we went to the office we saw so many fallen and cut trees scattered on the road even if there are a lot of people working to clear the roads. There were many wires dangling and some fallen posts, all of the billboard canvas are still rolled down and luckily I did not pass those big billboards which steel frames collapsed. And when we got to the office, there was NO electricity. It was that way the whole day and I was working in semi darkness (lucky we have windows in our department) and without computer. People were complaining of the heat but I was not bothered much. Actually if you don’t move too much and not complain and stay away from people it was not that bad, there were even period when I can feel the wind. Only one elevator was working on a generator and you had to wait in line to get up and down. I did not have to bother waiting to go down though(went down the twice during the day from the 26th floor) since I’m used to using the stairs going down. It was not really a great time to work but if you really want to, you get to accomplish things anyway. It is good that tomorrow is weekend, there will be time enough to restore all the power and clean up all the roads in time for work on Monday.
Yeah, it was one mean typhoon but it was just one of those things that happen and except for some little inconvenience it seems fairly easy to go back to the normal routine… just a matter of waiting for a few days.
I could easily say it since I was not one of those affected, eventually I would even forget the typhoon’s name and the date but for those who lost family and homes, I’m sure this one would be etched in their memory.
I felt the strong wind very early in the morning and already decided not to go to work even if they haven’t suspended work in our office yet (they would usually tell us late, we had to get to the office first and if the weather is really bad they dismiss us) but they were dismissed early too. Good thing! My decision not leave the house was right after all. However, I was still hoping that the typhoon would not really be that strong or that it would change course but around midday it became really strong! There was no electricity but we were all safe at home while we could hear the strong angry winds outside. At one point I went up to my room which had windows on three sides and I could actually feel the walls vibrating and the wind slamming on my windows. I could hear things flying around and hitting walls and roofs, Trees swaying with the wind, canopies and iron roofs making noises.
When I peaked at my window, I couldn’t see much of the damage being done by the typhoon, all I can see were the trees swaying strongly and the leaves, twigs, papers, plastics and other light objects being carried by the wind. I've seen some of those in other typhoons but I’m pretty sure that damage from this one was going to be big!
Even if we had no radio nor TV when the typhoon was raging, I know that this was one mean storm!
Late in the afternoon, the wind calmed a bit and a little later I fell asleep while reading a book. Actually it was getting dark and I was finding it hard to read so I dozed off. We already had electricity when I woke up but it was late for the early news. I had to wait longer to watch the news and I was right, the damage was great! So many trees were cut and uprooted, so many electric posts fell, so many billboards torn down with some of the heavy steels hitting vehicles and homes, so many concrete walls fell, so many roofs flew, so many soils eroded, so many people lost their homes, so many lives lost…
Today, the sun came out early. When we went to the office we saw so many fallen and cut trees scattered on the road even if there are a lot of people working to clear the roads. There were many wires dangling and some fallen posts, all of the billboard canvas are still rolled down and luckily I did not pass those big billboards which steel frames collapsed. And when we got to the office, there was NO electricity. It was that way the whole day and I was working in semi darkness (lucky we have windows in our department) and without computer. People were complaining of the heat but I was not bothered much. Actually if you don’t move too much and not complain and stay away from people it was not that bad, there were even period when I can feel the wind. Only one elevator was working on a generator and you had to wait in line to get up and down. I did not have to bother waiting to go down though(went down the twice during the day from the 26th floor) since I’m used to using the stairs going down. It was not really a great time to work but if you really want to, you get to accomplish things anyway. It is good that tomorrow is weekend, there will be time enough to restore all the power and clean up all the roads in time for work on Monday.
Yeah, it was one mean typhoon but it was just one of those things that happen and except for some little inconvenience it seems fairly easy to go back to the normal routine… just a matter of waiting for a few days.
I could easily say it since I was not one of those affected, eventually I would even forget the typhoon’s name and the date but for those who lost family and homes, I’m sure this one would be etched in their memory.
posted by elizabeth | 11:40 PM
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