off topic- hurricane charlie

[Guest guest]

Just a note from the other side of the world. I spend part of the year on Guam (was living here full time before thyroid cancer and a couple of autoimmune diseases forced me to Seattle for part of each year, usually the cold part!)...I'm on-island now visiting friends and family and it is right in the middle of Monsoon Season...there have been several storms in the area recently but thankfully they have all formed over us and moved off to the west towards Asia's mainland.

We are no strangers here on Guam to the whims of Mother Nature. This is the heart of Typhoon Alley. Almost everyone here lives in a reinforced concrete home w/shutters so you don't have to worry as much about the storms winds, but you still have to prepare for life after and cleaning up all the water that gets in under the door...and it is exhausting, I know! In a four year period I made it through 3 Typhoons, one SuperTyphoon with winds in excess of 185 mph that struck the island on Dec. 8th, 2002 and derailed Xmas that year. They are only guessing that 185 was the top mph because the equipment at the weather station broke right about then. Its possible we sustained wind gusts as high as 210 mph+ or so we were all told. It was the worst storm to hit the island in nearly 100 yrs. Power was out for 31 days in our village (we lived on self-generated electricity and propane cookers) but atleast our water was restored quickly! We've also been through a host of what we call "Banana Blowers" or smaller Tropical Storms. Stock up on your essentials, water and batteries (don't forget your meds, including your LDN!), and batten down the hatches. I hope the storm turns or loses its wind. Good luck, you are in my thoughts.

Best from the Western Pacific, Lara