There’s no escaping wrath of nature

I AM sharing the anxiety and tension of many in Penang who endured a great storm, if not the worst storm – at least for me in all my 50 years as a “Penang kia”.

It all started on Saturday with an early morning shower, which was well received as we had been experiencing hot weather in Penang without much rain for close to one month.

But then heavy rain continued to fall throughout the afternoon, leading to the eventual filling up of all the rivers on the island.

If you had passed by Sungai Pinang or Sungai Air Itam late Saturday afternoon, you would have sensed the danger posed by these swollen rivers.

I did a quick check on the tides and I knew things would not be pleasant with the rising sea waters from 7pm till its peak at midnight coupled with the incessantly heavy rain right past 3am. When I stepped outside that night, the sound of the howling winds sent chills throughout my body.

Sure enough, the aftermath was visible for all early Sunday morning. To quote one of our seniors on the way to church, the scene was like a war zone. Cars were abandoned at the side of the road, stranded probably due to the flood-waters during the night. Evidence of the valiant attempts of drivers to do a U-turn to escape the impassable road ahead of them could be seen in the cars stuck on the higher road divider. And there were hundreds of fallen tree branches and uprooted trees, big and small.

I took the opportunity to survey the damage on Sunday afternoon and felt really sorry for the many who suffered material losses.

But looking at the silent giants ( pic) – trees passionately fought for by some NGOs – I couldn’t help but conclude that this surely couldn’t be blamed on exacerbated land/hillside development alone. For me, it was clear the majesty of these trees was their undoing. Their thick foliage and sheer size simply turned unbearable during the storm.

We in Penang shall take stock and, crucially, the powers that be ought to apply good wisdom to learn how to face a storm like this if it happens again. The spirit of recovery shall prevail with honest help from all who are involved.