IT'S GOING TO BE A STORMY DAYOn September 29th we awoke to find out we were in the midst of a Level 8 Typhoon! We had gone to bed with warnings at Level 3 and had definitely heard the howling winds whistling in the night but we got up as usual to get Alex off to school and Joe off to work. Alex takes Aspen out about 5:30am and since he is half asleep it didn't make him wonder when one of the guys at the guard stand was waving and motioning to him. He just nodded and continued with his task. Upon his return he saw the signs posted that we had been upgraded to Level 8. A Level 10 is a direct hit! Soon we were finding out just what this meant...schools were closed, buses and taxis were not running, and we were in for a new experience! The buildings here are built to withstand this kind of weather so Joe tried to go down and get to work. No luck! If a taxi was willing to risk taking you, they were charging whatever they wanted. They were no longer running under any rules and regulations and just taking fares at their own risk because they were really not supposed to be taking fares. One of the parents of a friend of Alex's was able to get a taxi only to be returned back to home when they couldn't get to their destination because of the conditions.
THE WATERFALL GROWS! STORM CLOUDS
WE USUALLY SEE TONS OF SHIPS ON THESE WATERS...NOT TODAY.
So, we had an unexpected day together and a new experience to share. The winds were howling and there was rain but overall it was not a life-threatening, scarey situation. I ended up breaking open a bottle of champagne to celebrate our first Typhoon. We could watch the water and the storm from our house but it was not like what you would expect. I took pictures but it is hard to capture wind!
THAT CRAZY OR ROUGH.
THE COAST GUARD WAS OUT TO PATROL.
Three different times Joe tried to go into work because his store was open and those who could get to work were part of a record-breaking day. It turns out that all the people who couldn't get anywhere decided to shop. All the ferries to Macau were canceled so there were a lot of people with a lot of nothing to do!
By late in the afternoon/early evening we were able to go outside and take Aspen for a walk. Nothing was quite back to normal but the storm had definitely eased. We could see a bit of the damage the winds had caused.
Mother Nature reminding us that she is still in charge! Our island escaped any real tragedies from this typhoon. We later found out that it had been two years since a storm at this level had occured. Considering we live on the 36th floor of a high rise, I must thank the engineers and builders who know what they are doing and kept us safe and comfortable. I can cross this one off my "To Do" list!
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