We had been warned of the tremendous force of Typhoon Mangkhurt days before its arrival. Important advice and instructions about preventive measures went viral on Facebook and WhatsApp. The various government departments concerned were fully geared up for the attack and so were we citizens.
And Mangkhurt well deserved
its super typhoon status and the attention it demanded. On the day before its
arrival, there was hardly a speck of cloud in the blue sky. It was perfect weather …
except for the scorching heat, unusual for an autumn day! It went without
saying that the heat was the precursor, paving the way for Mangkhurt’s “grand
entrance”. And, as if an enhancement to its dramatic impressiveness were needed,
loud crashes of thunder broke the silence of the night with the heat still felt
long after sunset.
Indeed
Mangkhurt demanded full attention for every minute of its presence! Shortly after 8:30 a.m, it arrived unannounced. I had prepared a book to while away the
hours with. However, hardly had I started reading when I heard the wind coming,
howling fiercely and driving rain like stinging knives in a torrential downpour.
The book thus remained untouched during the nine-hour ordeal.
The roaring wind
became more and more terrorizing. Facing north-east, my bedroom window was
exposed to the full impact of the attack. The glass film and the venetian
blind could hardly be trusted to provide adequate protection. Despite my
fatigue from the wakefulness on the previous night because of the thunderstorm,
I did not dare to lie down for a while as the bed was right beneath the window.
Instead, I spent most
of the time in the study room with the window facing away from the typhoon. Albeit
still within earshot, the roaring wind was a bit less threatening there. However,
before long, I could feel the armchair moving slightly. Then I realized, to my terror,
that the building was swaying! The typhoon was making a turn and now even the
study room was within its range of attack. But going back to the bedroom did
little to calm me down as the sound of the howling wind was no less intimidating
there. In fact, the typhoon covered such a wide area across that it would be a
long time before it completed its change of position.
I moved restlessly from
one room to another but, no matter where I was, I could not rid myself of the
fear. There was a moment when I even thought of getting dressed just in case I
needed to flee to safety. Eager to get informed about Mangkhurt’s track and
changing positions, I kept text chatting with friends on the mobile. Images and
videos of the hard-hit areas served only to heighten my fear about the worst that
could happen. I simply could not stop worrying until I received a message from
a good friend with a prayer she had written to console me. I was moved to
tears, feeling God’s consolation through her.
Now the worst is over.
The government is said to have learned a good lesson from Typhoon Hato’s attack
last year and is credited with high efficiency in adopting appropriate precautionary
measures against the typhoon attack and in conducting effective emergency
operations to minimize the damage caused. The city is gradually restored to its
former peace thanks to the selfless dedication of the frontline staff and the volunteers in the
aftermath of the devastating typhoon.
Whether there will be more super typhoons like Hato and Mangkhurt in the coming years remains to be seen. However,
we should take destructive typhoons as a wake up call from Mother Nature for better attention to environmental
protection.
