Rough Groove

Typhoon Milenyo

Crippling typhoon Milenyo (international code name Xangsane) whooshed its way right in the center of Metro Manila wreaking havoc and mayhem. Early morning and already the rains have been pouring unceasingly from the previous night that the front of the condominium where I’m staying got flooded. I thought that it was just an ordinary typhoon when around 1100H, the shafts of the building were already whistling as strong currents of air passed through. The rains, which was just slight started to get strong as the winds started to get powerful. Leaves of trees were being flown high as the electric power supplying the building started to become unreliable. On, off, on, on, on, off, on…

1200H, an unseeming calm just descended. The rains again was slight and no more strong winds. We’re already at the center of the storm, the eye of the typhoon is already passing, I thought. After 30 minutes, the wind again started to howl but this time, at the other direction. Strong rain, powerful winds again. Then suddenly, the power was cut off. The generator started but not for long, it conked out and darkness in my room.

1500H and outside, it has calmed but still no power. Night came and it seems that most of Metro Manila is dark. I went out supposedly to watch a movie but when I arrived at Glorietta, it was closed. Same with Shangri-la Mall in Shaw Blvd. Along the way, it was just dark. Branches were cut and littered the road. Some trees fell while, in Estrella, misfortune came to some people aboard a car and an FX taxi when one steel billboard toppled.

Fortunately, I was able to go to SM Megamall. It was hot inside as the airconditioning was not working but with nothing to do back at the condo, I watched Flyboys but was disappointed with the movie that I left.