Super typhoon Megi (local name "Juan"), an equivalent of Category 5 hurricane in the USA, makes a landfall in our province and plowed through the land. With wind strength of over 250kph (156mph), it moved at a very slow speed of 10kph. Our town was very near the eye of the storm.
For several hours the howling wind battered the farm taking with it whatever is not securely fastened to the ground. The initial survey of the damage was just unbelievable. As of this writing it is late evening there and although the wind has subsided a little, the rain is now pouring hard. I wish I could say it's raining cats and dogs, but that is an understatement. It's also raining cows and goats and sheep and ... you know what I mean.
Initial survey of the damage include:
- A huge part of the "great wall" collapsed.
- The picket fence around the nursery is gone.
- A significant part of the ostrich fence is damaged.
- The plants on the ground are either uprooted or humbled and bowed down.
- The plants on plastic containers are strewn around.
- The mango trees are either limbless, leaning or fallen.
- The mahogany trees are bare of leaves.
- The tall Royal palms are leafless.
- The trellises for the climbing vines (Red Jades, etc.) are down.
- The shelter for the sheep is gone.
- The hut at the top of the hill is nowhere to be found.
- The kitchen door of our house broke in two.
Despite the damage to properties, I'm just relieved that my loved ones are unharmed. And that is more important than anything else.
Solitude stumbled and fell. But in time it will rise again. It will rise again.
