Youth conference a Hidden Valley Resort

We had been invited to go to Cebu City for a Senior Couples Ger together. On Friday we for a temple session followed by dinner at the Mission home. n Saturday there was time to sit and visit. The Mission president’s wife told a story.

I was talking to a missionary from Northern Luzon.

“The northwestern portion of the island of Luzon, which encompasses most of the Ilocos Region, is characterized by a flat terrain on the east and the Cordillera Mountains on the west…

Trade winds tend to move tropical cyclones in a west-northwest direction as they approach the islands of the Philippines. Tropical Cyclone Frequency in the Philippines based on PAGASA’s data archives from 1948 to present show Northern Luzon being affected at 32% (very frequent) The Visayas, including the island of Cebu, are affected at 7% (less frequent)…

The energy of a Tropical Cyclone is remarkable! Consider for example, that an ordinary afternoon thunderstorm (which lasts for 1 to 2 hours) has the energy equivalent of about thirteen 20-kiloton atomic bombs. Now, a small typhoon carrying winds of 120 kph has an energy equivalent of almost 500,000 atomic bombs, or about 6 atomic bombs per second! A typhoon also releases about 20 billion tons of water…

Cyclones bring storm surges and coastal flooding; strong winds; extreme rainfall and inland flooding; eyewall mesovortices or miniwhirles; and landslides, mudslides or mudflows.” ⁱ

The President’s wife had talked with the young missionary about cyclones.

Do the cyclones hit your area often?

Oh yes, sister. The south winds push the storms north and it usually comes to our place.

What happens when the storm comes?

We are flooded. We have to leave our house and go to a high place.

Do you have food to eat where you go?

Sometimes.

Then what do you do?

We wait until the storm passes. Then we go back to our house. We take everything out of the house. After it is dry, we put back anything that is still usable. We repair the house when we can get enough money.

Do storms come often?

Oh yes, sister. They come every year.

But you are always laughing and smiling. You are so happy.

Yes, sister, we are happy. If we were not happy, we would be so sad…….

because storms happen.