This week on LiP, starting in about 12 hours from now, we will kick off Yolanda week here on LiP, the Live in the Philippines Web Magazine.
Don’t worry, it’s not all just a full week of stories about how sorry we all feel about the victims and such. Of course, we do feel sorry for each and every victim of the storm. But, saying that day in and day out does not really help anybody. Instead, we have a series of different articles that look at the storm from different angles.
- What was it like to be right in the eye of the storm? How did it sound? How did it feel? Was it scary? Rusty Ferguson will tell us what the experience was like, because he was right there as the eye passed over.
- Paul Thompson will tell us about his thoughts. He got an e-mail last week asking him why he didn’t write about the storm last week… now he will explain why.
- The Cordillera Cowboy will ask a question that you may not have thought of yet… after seeing what Yolanda did, do you still want to live in the Philippines?
- Scott Fortune will explain his feelings watching the storm from afar.
- I will study what you can do to avoid typhoons. But, the real question is, can you avoid all danger in the Philippines? Heck, can you do that anywhere in the world?
- Finally, Aaron will look at whether the rumors are true? Rumor is flying around Facebook that Yolanda was a “man made” storm, made by man using technology. Is it true? Can it be?
So, Yolanda had a deep effect on the Philippines and the Filipino people. It brought the world together to help. Let’s have a look at it and see how we all were affected.
Yolanda week will kick off soon here on LiP. Please be sure to share your comments about the storm, and about the articles that will be coming out this week.
Looking forward to the week Bob. Coming from living in Miami for the better part of 15 years before moving to the Philippines, I have been in more hurricanes and tropical storms than I can count. Being in a first world country helps greatly as there was plenty of time to prepare and in my case, boarding up my house and then heading to Big Daddy’s to stock up on enough booze to drink and Winn Dixie for steaks to grill (during the eye of course). I never recall ever thinking of being injured or having my home suffer much damage. Why? Because again we were reliably informed and had time to prepare having places like Home Depot and Builders Square!!!. Unfortunately, all the barbs can be thrown back and forth in this Yolanda debate and even if the folks had gotten the Word of God a week before about the pending storm probably would have made only a slight difference as there was nowhere for so many people to seek protection. It is sad, but this Country unfortunately is a recipe for weather disaster from now to eternity as they don’t have structures to protect people in the more provincial cities due to poverty and other issues being openly discussed. It is sad. There are so many arguments that can be made for this or that and I will leave that to others or I will get into trouble. Anyway, I only hope that the tens of millions of dollars in pledges actually is used properly, but something tells me…………..
Hi Corey, I lived on Louisiana for my high school years and we’ll into my 20s, so I have also lived through many a hurricane and other tropical weather. Never been through anything like Yolanda, though.
Good thing you missed Katrina and I thankfully missed Andrew. I can’t even imagine what 200 mile an hour winds is like and that storm surge. UNREAL. In a way as much of a tragedy it was hitting where it did, it could have been much worse. imagine if Davao had been hit. Where I live here would be a memory that’s for sure and many thousands dead without a doubt.
Yeah, I am very thankful that Davao was safe from the storm. We live close enough to the sea that it could have been a serious problem.
Bob;
Here’s what I’ve learned from dealing with Typhoons and Hurricanes both on land and at sea for over 40 years. I didn’t like them. At sea at least the ship could try and run, but on the dirt on an Island not so much. My friends all asked why I live on a sheltered mountain in Bataan vice the beach in the Barrio where they live. Olongapo flooded two months ago and three friends are looking for land around my area. Gravity is the key, the knowledge that water flows downhill is the answer. I learned that in Puerto Rico during a category five storm called Hugo. My house and bar and two cars were gone with the Tidal Surge, but my condo on the 22 floor of Playa Azul survived with wind damage only, and was fixed quickly, everything else was gone forever. (Plus me the following day to Tampa Florida on an USAF C-5A.)
You are a wise man, Paul!
Bob,
Unfortunately Yolanda type storms may be the norm researchers are saying due to global warming. That’s not good news for the Philippines or anyone else. Hopefully they are wrong.
Hi Papa Duck, I personally believe that global warming is a hoax. Yes, there are variations in weather patterns, but these things go in cycles over the years. We shall see.
In 1982-83 I had an assignment that made me and my family live in Okinawa, Japan. We rented a local apt. that was Japanese style. During our year there we experienced two typhoons of modest strength. It was amazing how there was little or no structural damage to most of the homes or businesses. Businesses and schools were open and functionting in a day or two. This is because they have resorted to almost all poured/reinforced concrete and steel structures, with grills over the windows. That means that little debris is picked up by the storms. I think this strucural design was a result of the destruction left by WW2 when 25% of the population was killed and the island almost completeley denuded of trees. There was little left but to build with concrete. Even today, decorative wood is used someplaces but is expensive because it all has to be imported. IF future rebuilding efforts could be influenced to make more sturdy constructions in the Philippines, that would help a lot.
We’ll have to wait and see if building standards improve due to the storm. I hope they do.
Side note, We were also hunkering down and watching the weather radar a lot yesterday as locally heavy storms and tornadoes went through the midwestern US. Current reports of 6 dead are amazingly low, but our houses and even some school buildings here etc. aren’t strong enough for these storms either.
Yes, I saw the news… terrible!