Zack Li, RDF International School

瑞得福国际学校 李至开

Typhoon Mangkhut, known as the most devastating storm in 2018, attacked Guangdong Province in September. It was the first time that I had experienced such a powerful typhoon in the flesh; it was the first time that I had felt the horror of a natural disaster.

It was formed in the Pacific Ocean on September 7 and gradually grew until it was finally a super typhoon. It landed in the Philippines on the 15th, and ran rampant over that country, resulting in the destruction of many houses and injuries to many residents. I thought it was just a normal typhoon, because Shenzhen, the city where I live, also suffers a lot from typhoons, but everything was on schedule at that time.

After watching a video of the Philippines online, it shocked me to see roofs being lifted off houses and cars being thrown around by the wind, and suddenly, I realized that Typhoon Mangkhut must be unusual. Windows were covered with tape as a protective measure to prevent the gusts from breaking them. When the typhoon came, it was more terrible than I had expected. A gust of wind blew through the windows in my room, making loud noises, and the trees outside my windows were rocking wildly.

Despite the weakening of the typhoon as it passed through the Philippines, a Category-15 typhoon is still one of the most terrible storms that Shenzhen has experienced in so many years.

After listening to the “wonderful music” played by the wind for a day, the wind and rain became weaker and weaker. The next morning, the management told us the bad news: My dad’s car had been hit by a big tree. Fortunately, the car is OK.

After the third day, Mangkhut ceased completely, but in the aftermath of this typhoon, most of the roads were blocked by fallen trees. Streets that had previously been lined with too many trees to see the sun were now empty, and all of the flowers in my doorway were dead. Mangkhut — the Thai word for mangosteen — was one of the strongest typhoons Guangdong Province has ever witnessed, and also marked the first time that I have felt the power of a natural disaster. The 22nd named storm of the 2018 Pacific typhoon season left a lasting impression on me.