Some people have asked if I will be near the area that recently experienced heavy rains, mud slides, and floods. Not this time. Most of that happened in the southern-most island of Mindanao, and specifically the cities of Iligan and Cagayon de Oro. The island of Bohol is slightly north of Mindanao. I have been in contact with a few people over there and they have mentioned nothing about similar problems on the island of Bohol.
The problem for Mindanao is that they usually don't get hit by typhoons. The weather patterns usually keep severe storms from coming into that region of the Philippines. The lesson to be learned is that, even though you don't usually get a particular type of storm doesn't mean that you are fully exempt. It's like getting tornadoes in Albuquerque . . . is just doesn't happen here . . . but that doesn't mean it can't.
It is sad that over 1,500 have lost their lives there in Mindanao. Most of them were the very poor, living in squatters villages along the river banks. Their ramshackle huts were no match for the raging flood waters and rapidly moving debris. One report indicated that there had been excessive logging in that area, which allowed for the mudslides to happen, along with hundreds of loose logs being swept along by the flood waters, destroying buildings and ramming into human flesh. Please offer a prayer to those in need there in Mindanao. Sadly, this type of thing happens in other parts of the Philippines with some regularity. At least those people are aware of the threat and live accordingly. Even then, many lives are lost each year to flood waters and mud slides.
I will be there in February, which is considered the "dry" season. But as the story above teaches us, don't always rely on the history of weather patterns. . . it's a good way to become a "statistic"!
I'm happy to see that several people have visited my blog. Please, if you stay long enough to read one of my articles, offer a comment or two.
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