Typhoon Mina and Hurricane Irene: the Aftermath

I have noticed that in recent years, typhoons have been very strong and destructive.

Typhoon Mina has caused severe devastation to Northern Philippines with damage calculated to reach more than one billion pesos. Around twenty bridges have been torn down and several road networks are either under water or have been covered with landslides, which isolate towns and cities. Hundreds of hectares of rice fields and vegetation have been destroyed as well. We can expect prices of fruits and vegetables coming from the north to increase in the coming days.

In Baguio, a city in a northern, mountainous province of the Philippines, a garbage dump site has collapsed burying homes below  and killing people due to heavy rains. The scene is indescribably devastating.

Hurricane Irene as well has been very destructive as it hits East Coast USA. It has left millions of households and businesses without electricity. It seems very rare to see a storm hitting the “Big Apple” although, Irene has been downgraded to storm level before it hits New York. The city that never sleeps goes in a temporary hibernation as business and subways have been closed to the public while the famous Times Square has been desolate. New Yorkers might not be that used to see storms hitting them hard.

I hope we could have less destructive storms but I guess, it is all part of nature. The best shield from devastating storms and hurricanes remain to be preparedness. Storms will still devastate but at least we can diminish the destruction to life and property and of course, we should not forget to  pray, it works miracles.