Cyclone!
by Jonathan
This is monsoon season here in Auroville, from Oct.-Dec. and there’s always the chance of a tropical storm called a cyclone which is basically a hurricane. In late November we were blessed with the opportunity to witness nature’s awesome power – this was cyclone Nisha which raged into Sadhana Forest and Tamil Nadu’s eastern coast in the early morning of Nov. 26. We had been hit with heavy rains in the preceding days and everything was damp and the ground was saturated. This satellite image of a different tropical depression was what we absorbed a week before the cyclone hit.
Our first response to the approaching storm center was to make evacuation preparations – this meant packing much of our moldy and wet clothes in case our hut couldn’t withstand the high winds and we had to leave it for more secure shelter. Then with nothing more to do, we bedded down and waited.
The strong winds did indeed come in the middle of the night, resulting in slightly annoying sprays of water through our flimsy, woven palm-leaf walls. Although we didn’t get much sleep, our hut survived with no damage. In the morning, we found that many of the trees in our communal area had been blown over. This wasn’t a huge loss however, because most of them were the non-native Acacia from Australia (these trees had been planted in the early 80’s to prevent further soil-erosion – they proliferate very well but have shallow root systems).
After clearing the vital pathways, we assessed the dams and berms that prevent water erosion around the forest. Here we found another problem, the result was that many of us found ourselves digging a long trench in the rain and mud in order to prevent a dam from breaching. Seamus, a fellow Irishman who shares my birthday, was having a blast – it reminded him of childhood frolics in the wet mud. After this fulfilling work, we took a crazy bus ride to another village for an engagement ceremony we’d been invited to. This was an experience, and we’re grateful to the driver for getting us back safely (even though we had to trudge through puddles and mud for the last 100 yards in the driving rain). This was the tail end of the storm we would have to endure for another night. As you can see below, the center of the storm passed just south of the city of Pondicherry.
The next morning we awoke to nearly all the rest of the trees having been toppled and with it, some collateral damage but nothing major to any structures. During the moments without rain, we tromped out with saws, axes, and machetes to clear all the vital paths as best we could (again). The kitchen crew had fun preparing food with the storm raging all around and everyone else bunkered down to read, sleep, or catch up on e-mails (when the computer was available). The clean up lasted a whole day after the storm passed and was helped by some local workers – we had a deadline because a group of student volunteers were about to arrive.
The result of the storm is that we have very little shade in the common spaces – fortunately the main hut is finished and we can take our meals “inside.” Since the cyclone there’s been only one other rainstorm and it was tiny. Gradually, we’re washing the mold out of our clothes, although the morning dew is the heaviest at this time of year. Our solution is using the giant pink poncho that “Mother Hen” sent us before we left as a dry clothes bin before we go to bed.
Slowly, hand washing stations are relocated from the fallen trees they’d been attached to, and life has resumed to sunny days, 75 degrees and perfectly cool evenings. Iggy the iguana says, “That’s great!”
Tags: November 2008, What's New, Tag Index
seeingspain
December 27th, 2008 at 11:33 am
So glad the ‘pink poncho’ came in handy! Who knew you’d be using it for the mold prevention of your clothes?
It’s amazing to me that your huts did not blow away in the cyclone. If they can build a shelter made of logs and palm fronds that can withstand a cyclone, why can’t they build mobile homes that can withstand tornadoes?
Hang in there Jonathan, Christy will be back soon!
December 29th, 2008 at 3:37 pm
wow! glad you guys are ok. Sounds like a rush. I miss seeing you guys. I’ve been to Portland a few times and always pass by your neighborhood thinking bout my christinie. You guys are such inspiring world travelers. Good luck kids