Typhoon Usagi

There are lots of similarities in preparing for a typhoon as a hurricane or snowstorm.  You've got your news rhetoric..."this is the biggest storm in 34 years", craziness at the grocery store, excitement for missing school.  This was our second storm in a month, but this one was stronger and originally was coming straight for Hong Kong. Listening to different predictions, we decided that we could make it to church on the island and back before the rains started, and we were right. The rest of the day (Sunday) was a normal lazy Sunday...our day of rest.  Although it was extra nice since it had been a three-day weekend...Mid-Autumn Festival was Friday.  Andy decided he needed to walk to the grocery store, so he took our adventuresome kids (Josh, Grace and Abby) and they were back in about 45 minutes. Not bad until you consider that it takes 2 minutes to walk there, and he had three things on his list!

Funny thing, thinking back, it really wasn't until last Wednesday until I had heard about the storm. I don't know if it is because it was fast developing, or because I don't listen or read local news, but someone mentioned it briefly, and then I started paying attention. As I was sitting in church, I was so grateful that we lived in a house and not a high rise.  I think fear started to sink in for the friends I knew who did, and I wondered how I would be feeling if we did live, say, on the 52nd floor!

The rains began in the late afternoon, but the winds started to pick up when it began to get dark.  The kids all went to bed in the same room, and luckily that room was facing the right way and not getting pounded by the rain and wind.  Our room, on the other hand, was shaking, and I kept thinking that our windows would surely give out soon.  It was the loudest storm I had ever heard, and I was just waiting for one of my dear little cherubs to come visit.  I finally fell asleep around 11:30pm...and then woke up again at 2:45 because Abby was scared...even though the wind was gone:)

While it was still raining this morning, the storm could have been much worse...it veered north of HK about 90 miles.  But, it was still a Typhoon 8, so the kids and Andy didn't have to get up for school...woohoo! We had a lazy morning...Andy worked in his office and had a call, but we enjoyed another day of rest.  Then they changed the Typhoon 8 to Typhoon 3 before 10am, so Andy had to report to work (the rule is if it is below a Typhoon 8 by 12pm, you must go to work).  By the afternoon, you would not have suspected there had been a storm.  We lost a pot and a tree, but other than that it had stopped raining and the clean up had commenced.

I appreciate so many friends and family who reached out to let us know you were praying. This storm was much more devastating for the people just north of us, as lots of people lost their lives.  We do not take it for granted that we were protected and safe from winds so strong that they were flipping cars!!  It made me realize that even when my friends and family are going through some really hard "storms" in their lives on the other side of the world, it is still important to reach out and let them know that I care and am still praying for them.  For me, this has been a little discouraging being so far away and not in a position to help.  But like a good friend once shared with me, "praying is not the least you can do, it's the most you can do." Point made:)


 





 Tangrams and homework

 The winds picked up significantly before dark

Josh, Abby and Emma in their fort

Sarah appreciating some extra "daddy time"