Super Typhoon Reming

The very strong super typhoon Reming(international name Durian) as seen from NASA satellite.

Reming maybe well have set a record as the strongest typhoon to hit the country in twenty years!

We have felt the wrath and intensity of Milenyo in the last week of September, and now only barely two months, Reming ravaged Southern Luzon-with greater strength than Milenyo.

A day before Reming was supposed to hit Metro Manila, I decided to prepare myself:

1. I Stocked a lot of water in the refrigrator

2. I bought a large coleman and stock ice there so I still get cool drinks even when there is brownout. I also bought a large airpot for hot water.

3. I bought a lot of candles: candles are nowhere to be found during the post-Milenyo days, as they had been hoarded by cunning people expecting power outage.

4. I bought a rechargeable electric fan--the one that comes with rechargeable lamp and am-fm radio: I can't really sleep even without a breeze of air. The heat is unbearable during brownouts.

5.Unfortunately, I could not find a rechargeable TV SET..

6. I bought several Lucky Me Instant Noodles, bread, and Corned Beef and Tuna Canned Goods: Obviously these are very much needed as power outage can mean no cooking for days.

After stocking these stuffs in my house, I waited for developments of the Typhoon Reming. Weather forecasts state that Reming is moving in the direction of Metro Manila. It was already declared as a Super Typhoon as its winds had been measured as 180km per hour. We are in real trouble.

While the Bicol region was being devastated by the typhoon, we in Metro Manila, could still not feel any hint of Reming. The sky was a little overcast, that's all..but there has been no strong wind nor rains..It certainly looked like peace before the storm.

Later in the day, around 2pm, the weather guys were reporting that due to the high pressure area somewhere in South China Sea, typhoon Reming changed direction and not hit Metro Manila directly. But then Signal #2 was still raised over the whole Metro

I felt great relief, upon hearing this news, although I still felt quite worried because what if it changed direction again, and hit Metro directly. Such is my fear, that I can't yet feel comfortable until the typhoon has exited the Philippines.

I decided to stay at home all day long, watching news, waiting for developments. The typhoon was wreaking havoc in the Southern provinces particularly Bicol, Mindoro, Batangas. It was clear though that it would not hit Metro Manila.

The next day, I woke up early..I looked up at the sky..it was the same as yesterday..although there were some drizzle.

I watched the news to see the devastation of Reming on the southern provinces. It was all so sad..with all the images and videos of houses being destroyed, of people trapped inside their houses while flashfloods continue to rise...of people evacuating to escape the deadly force of Reming...

The next morning, after the typhoon....It lookedlike an atom bomb was dropped in most of the Bicol region..I feel sad for all the destroyed properties..but more for the hundreds of dead and missing people.