[00:11.91]Sky Watch
[00:13.88]Today the wind and rain drove
[00:17.71]fiercely against my apartment window.
[00:20.99]It was the tail end of a typhoon.
[00:24.06]Every year, as the
[00:26.90]calendar indicates the approach of autumn,
[00:29.20]these destructive tropical storms
[00:31.60]account for both death and
[00:33.46]destruction along Asia’s coasts.
[00:36.85]On an average there may be
[00:39.92]fifteen such storms every year.
[00:42.44]Although many civilians adopt
[00:45.28]a casual attitude towards these events,
[00:48.57]awareness is advisable.
[00:50.75]As the water dripped from
[00:56.00]my balcony and accumulated
[00:57.75]into free flowing rivers
[00:59.87]on the road beneath,
[01:01.51]I was reminded of
[01:02.94]the extreme weather that
[01:04.57]affected the residents of North America.
[01:07.86] Hurricanes, tornadoes, snowstorms, ice storms
[01:13.54]and electrical storms are
[01:15.52]all examples of extreme weather
[01:17.48]that may challenge an entire community.
[01:20.55]Each storm is unique in character,
[01:25.11]contributing its own particular
[01:27.30]fascination and fear.
[01:30.14]Every fall hurricanes slam
[01:33.64]the United States coast.
[01:36.05]They upset boats, fell mature trees,
[01:39.56]wash away sections of public beaches
[01:42.29]and often cause death.
[01:44.48]Fortunately with the advantage
[01:47.98]of modern prior warning systems
[01:50.50]authorities are able to
[01:52.13]keep the chaos to a minimum.
[01:54.32]Regardless, some sectors of the population
[01:59.25]still ignore the warnings.
[02:01.43]The burden of rescuing these irresponsible adults
[02:04.94]falls on the authorities.
[02:08.32]Meanwhile government budgets are strained.
[02:11.50]To assemble enough aid to
[02:14.56]assure assistance for all regions
[02:16.86]in a country stretches finances |