Oh Frank
Posted by izekream on June 23, 2008
Frank, of course, is typhoon Frank. International codename: Fensheng.
This is apparently the sixth typhoon to hit the country judging from the first letter of its name. PAGASA names the typhoons in alphabetical order but unlike the recent past, names are not exclusive for females now but rather being alternated between ‘blokes’ and ’sheilas’.
We felt its fury around 2AM yesterday (Sunday) in our place and the onslaught was unwavering until the late afternoon. Power went off at 6AM and was restored around 2PM. Heavy rains and sweltering winds caused knee-deep floods in the area. How uncomfortable is it to go out? The 7:15AM mass at our local parish, normally attended every Sunday by 500 to 700 parishioners, had only nine that moment.
Surprise, surprise. Early Sunday evening, the government has suspended all elementary and high school classes in all the provinces you can reel off in the rays of the Philippine Flag sun ( I forgot them but at least I know there were eight and most of them have no classes today, Monday).
As of this writing, typhoon Frank is now somewhere in Pangasinan and headed for China. It left scores of victims across the country and rendered hundereds homeless. It paralyzed some transportation and delayed others. But its most notable mark in its brief stay is the capsizing of M/V Princess of the Stars off Sibuyan Islands which left at least a hundred people dead and several others wounded.
PAGASA said Frank had weakened. Here’s hoping it can not do any further damage.
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