Fun times always pass by quickly. In a short amount of time, the new school year was already approaching. As the summer break came to an end, students got back into work mode and were ready to start school. Just when students had mentally prepared themselves for the upcoming school year, the school announced that there would be no school on August 10th due to the typhoon. Students were relieved because they had an extra day-off before school officially began. The school, however, was busy cleaning up the mess that the typhoon had created. With that said, Typhoon Soudelor was a total devastation.
Soudelor arrived in Taiwan on the 9th. The wind was probably the strongest I have every experienced. I could feel my building rocking back and forth when I was at home. At night, I struggled to fall asleep because the wind was howling and shaking the windows so forcibly. Even though the storm had weakened by the morning, Taiwan was still covered with heavy rainfall. My community, especially the garden, was disarrayed. The plants were utterly destroyed; many tall trees were uprooted. Once the rain became lighter, everyone in the neighborhood helped restore the community garden. The destruction was so severe that I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to be outside the community.
Every time I watch the news, it is always heartbreaking to see the agony in the eyes of the victims of typhoons. People living in the eastern coast of Taiwan were trapped because their homes were flooded. In some worse cases, houses of the low-lying areas fell in and collapsed. While some people were stuck at home, others were stuck abroad. Because of the intense rain and powerful winds from Soudelor, many airlines had to make flight adjustments or cancel flights for the day and the 10th. As the fierce winds ripped across the island, electrical lines were destroyed, causing power outages to households all over the country. My neighborhood did not go out of power. I was fortunate enough to be able to stay in my cozy home and enjoy the electricity. However, our water was contaminated. When I turned on the tap, the water appeared to be brownish and muddy. The water wasn’t drinkable so we had to buy bottled water from the supermarket. This mass contamination of water caused inconvenience to millions of households.
In conclusion, Typhoon Soudelor overwhelmed Taiwan with its ability to demolish the environment. Tree branches were flung across the streets and signboards were blown down by the wind gusts. The power of a typhoon should never be underestimated. There is, however, always a rainbow after the rain. Stay optimistic and united! Together, we are strong and can overcome any obstacles ahead of us.
References:
Fantz, A. (2015). Typhoon Soudelor kills at least 24 in China and Taiwan. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/10/asia/china-taiwan-typhoon-soudelor/
Mullen, J. & Najarian, M. (2015). Powerful Typhoon Soudelor slams into Taiwan. Retrieved from http://edition.cnn.com/2015/08/07/asia/typhoon-soudelor/
