Typhoon Milenyo displayed its strength for only a brief span of time. Two hours at the most, I reckon, but it left a wide swath of destruction in its wake. Partial reports indicate that at least 2 people died, 4 injured and 4 are still missing. Property damage includes 18 houses wrecked and 54 houses damaged. We are still awaiting the data for crop and livestock damage. Again, for that 120 minutes, we were at the mercy of mother nature’s wrath. Batangas, except for the northeasternmost town of Sto. Tomas, was largely spared from being directly hit by the strong winds and yet, the damage incurred is staggering.
It is the morning after the storm and I am back at my computer, power having been restored bit by bit the electric company. Again, as is wont after every calamity, we would be assessing the entirety of the damage and gathering all the statistics for our records.
Move on we must. The lessons learned would serve us well in future, though not hoped for, emergencies. I am personally thanking the people at the Provincial Disaster Operations Center who spent the entire day yesterday braving the caresses of Milenyo. Di ko na kayo iisa-isahin, baka makatampo pa ang di mababanggit.
