My Typhoon Lawin Experience

 

“Millions of lives were changed in a day by a cruel and wasteful storm” (George W. Bush).

 

Typhoon Haima, known in the Philippines as Super Typhoon Lawin, was the third most intense tropical cyclone worldwide in 2016. It was the twenty-second named storm and the eleventh typhoon of the annual typhoon season. Impacting the Philippines less than 3 days after Typhoon Sarika, Haima formed out of a tropical disturbance southwest of Chuuk on October 14, it developed into a tropical storm the next day. 

 Steady strengthening occurred over the next day or two as it tracked westward towards the Philippines. After forming an eye shortly after it was upgraded to a typhoon, Haima began to rapidly strengthen and eventually became a super typhoon on October 18. It later attained its peak intensity as a Category 5-equivalent tropical cyclone before weakening slightly. Haima later made landfall late on October 19 as a Category 4-equivalent storm. Rapid weakening occurred as it interacted with the landmasses until it entered the Southern China Sea as a weak typhoon. It formed a large ragged eye once again and remained steady in intensity until making landfall in China on October 21. It weakened below typhoon intensity and became extratropical on October 22. The cyclone drifted northeastwards and later eastwards before emerging over water again, but eventually dissipated by October 26.

I was at my grandparent's house in Rizal Cagayan when this happened. I can't quite remember everything that happened at the time, but I'll try. My grandparents and everyone else in the area prepared for the storm before it hit our place. I remember them cutting down the mango tree in front of the house because they were worried it would be uprooted during the storm and fall down the house. I was a little upset as I watched the tree fall down because we used to play in the shade of that tree with my neighborhood friends, but I understood why they had to. While my Lola and I fetched some water and closed all the windows in the house, my Lolo tied his carabaos near our house and put all the chickens in their cages. The storm struck at dusk, and the electricity had already been turned off during that time. It didn't rain much, but there was a strong wind. The high-pitched whistle it made can indeed be heard, and the trees surrounding it are bending. Then a coconut fell on the roof, making a really loud noise that alarmed the three of us. There was water leaking and we had to put a bucket under it to catch all the water.With all the noise, it was hard for me to sleep, and then one of the windowpanes suddenly shattered. The cold wind blew some leaves inside the home, but my Lolo was quick to respond and quickly covered it. 

 

When dawn finally arrived, my Lolo opened the door, and I felt the chilly wind embrace us. Several tree branches are strewn around, as are some roofs that may have been ripped off a neighbor's house. Although the barangay was surrounded by a river, the water did not reach the homes. Our neighbor's boat was gone, and my Lolo's friend's carabao drowned when the water reached where it was moored. The wind is still blowing, but it isn't as strong as it once was. We did a thorough cleaning of the house and its surrounds. It was muddy, and a branch I picked up gave me a blister.  After the cleaning, my friends and I climbed some of the trees that had tilted slightly off the ground and picked some of the fruits. When the tide was low, we went to the mudflat and caught some little fish that had become stuck in the crevices and holes.

 

Despite the fact that we have been hit by a big catastrophe, the people around us are still smiling. They helped one another in repairing the damage and shared some necessities with others who were in need. In the meanwhile, we didn't have classes because the damage to our school was also evident. The power was still out, and I think it took 3 or 4 months for it to be restored. As a result, we had to rely on candles and solar-powered lighting at night.
My Lolo and Lola would entertain us by telling stories on the house's roof deck until I fell asleep.  

 

We have no way of preventing or avoiding these typhoons. They are created naturally and have always existed. We could, however, do better. We should be informed and prepared whenever a typhoon is approaching landfall. Take preventative steps. If at all possible, evacuate to a safe and higher location. Secure everyone and gather the crucial and vital items we'll require. In this way, we can lessen the consequences of the typhoon on everyone. The disasters and difficulties we experience are simply challenges that we must overcome. It may have destroyed our houses, harmed us, and left permanent damage, but we cannot allow it to succeed.  

 

We must stand up together and move forward. When storms struck us this is the time when unity and humanity should live up.