***Among all the storms I’ve experienced in my life, Typhoon Odette was by far the strongest and most unforgettable. It wasn't just a storm that destroyed homes but it was one that tested our faith, unity, and strength as a family and as a community***
**The Storm**
Source: google
It has been 3 years and 7 months since the typhoon hit the Philippines.
The damage it left in our area here in province of Bohol was really terrible. So many things were destroyed, and it took several months before we had electricity and signal again. We were so worried because of the overwhelming news we were hearing at the time.
Source: google
Now, I just want to share one of the scariest and strongest typhoons I’ve ever experienced. But I thank the Lord because our area was somehow shielded by the mountains, which lessened the impact of the strong winds. Those near the river and the sea were the most affected. For me, that typhoon was really strong imagine, the sound of the wind was like a creaming child, and there was even a strange howling sound that the wind made, along with the heavy rain hitting hard everywhere.
What worried me the most was my family. At that time, I was at my Auntie's house because I had been helping tend to their store. I was just waiting for my older brother to pick me up if I rode a motorcycle (habal-habal), it would’ve cost me ₱100, and my pay(sweldo) was only ₱200, so I’d rather wait and be picked up.
Whenever there was no one to look after the store, my Aunt would call on me. And whenever I wasn’t busy with school, I’d help out after all, I needed the extra money for my allowance since I was still a student trying to find ways to help myself.
I would open the store from 8am to 5pm. It wasn’t really hard work because there weren’t always customers. It only got busy whenever people came in. It was a loan-type business for feeds, so someone had to be there in case someone came to pay or pick up feeds otherwise, customers might run out of stock and their pigs wouldn’t have food.
So at around 5pm, I was already at my Aunt’s house. My younger sibling was with me at that time I think she came from school so we could both be picked up at once by our brother. But sadly, my brother couldn't pick us up anymore become the water on the road had risen, the rain was pouring non-stop, and his motorcycle kept dying. He had to turn back.
We didn’t expect Typhoon Odette to be that strong. We were a bit complacent because before, the news would say the typhoon would be strong, but it would just be a normal rainy day in our area like nothing’s happening. That’s why people would still go out or continue working during typhoons. There were even times we didn’t realize it was a typhoon because it felt just like regular rain.
But this time was different. We were complacent and completely unprepared.
**The Storm Strikes**
It was already night, and thankfully, we had dinner early. Our situation was really sad my sibling and I were stranded at our Aunt’s house, but thank God, she was kind and accommodating.
Since we finished dinner early, we also went to bed early. We were in a room with our Aunt’s two children — one boy and one girl.
I started to get worried because the rain was getting really heavy. I kept thinking about my family and how they were doing. Then the power went out, so we just used flashlights and kept updating each other through our phones as long as there was signal.
It was around 8 PM, I think, and I was still communicating with my boyfriend at the time (who is now my husband — we’re married now). We were checking up on each other since their area also tended to flood. But thank God, it wasn’t too bad where they were.
While we were still chatting, I suddenly couldn’t send messages. I thought maybe I had no load or something, but it turns out the signal had gone completely. The signal was such a killjoy or maybe it was the typhoon, haha. I was really sad because at that time, we had a little fight. (You know how it is ,you start off sweet, then after a while you’re arguing again? haha). I remember we even talked about breaking up 🥹. But there was no point arguing anymore become no more signal. So I just played with the kids to distract myself.
**Chaos and Fear**
We played with them for quite a while, but suddenly we heard loud banging noises outside the room. At first, we didn’t notice because the room was tightly closed almost soundproof.
When we finally stepped out, we saw that the roof was already about to be ripped off by the wind. Thank God the house was strong, but it wasn’t fully finished yet, so the water started leaking inside.
The second floor wasn’t closed off properly yet, and the windows were still open so water from the second floor flowed down to the first floor, and we were completely soaked.
Two of the bedrooms had leaking roofs, so we moved to the living room where it was safer and less wet. We moved the tables and stayed underneath for protection, in case anything collapsed.
That’s where we slept we doubled up the foam mattresses and stacked them to avoid getting too wet.
We stayed awake the entire night. The storm lasted for so long it was almost dawn before it finally stopped. We just kept praying all night, hoping that our entire family would be safe.
**A New Day**
We didn’t even notice the sun had come up. The storm had finally passed. We were exhausted, but thankful. Despite everything, none of us were hurt. Our family was safe. That alone was more than enough.
I looked around inside the house and everything was messy because of the typhoon's. Still, we were thankful to God that although we were hit by the storm, our whole family was safe, and none of us were hurt. But when we went outside, we saw the destruction the plants were destroyed, so many trees had fallen, roofs were blown away, and the river that we were afraid of had risen so high, our uncle said it almost reached their kitchen. But again, thanks to the Lord, it didn’t reach inside the home, and we were all safe.
That river almost reached the house but by the time this photo was taken, the water had already calmed down and receded a bit, so it looked farther from the house. Before the typhoon, you wouldn’t have even seen that water because it was at the lowest point and there were still rice fields there. But sadly, the river swallowed even the rice fields. The crops that were supposed to be harvested were gone. The farmers were really devastated. They’ll have to plant all over again, and that means more expenses. It’s painful both in the heart and in the pocket for the farmers, but we all know that God will still provide everything we need.
This was all the damage outside my Aunt’s house. Thankfully, the damage wasn’t as bad compared to other areas where the situation was truly terrifying. We really thank God because we still felt His protection, even in the middle of the storm.
**Looking Back with Gratitude
**
Looking back, I realized how fragile life can be and how important it is to never underestimate warnings, never take safety for granted. But even more, I was reminded that even in the fiercest storms, God remains our shelter. He protected us when we didn’t even ask. He covered us even when we didn’t prepare.
Typhoon Odette was more than just a natural disaster, it was a life lesson. A reminder of what truly matters: faith, family, and God’s grace.
I hope you also learned a valuable lesson. Thank you so much for taking the time to read my blog here on Hive. I hope you’ll continue to follow my blog see you on my next post, Ka-Hive! Stay safe always 🙏