As predicted, storms and typhoons will increase in intensity and frequency as the planet continues to heat up, and Palau saw Tropical Storm 27W dump lots of rain on the island as it quickly blew past, doing significant damage in certain parts of the country that were in its path.
Weather bureau tracking of the storm potential on Friday, October 28, said there’s a low chance of it developing into a cyclone. By Saturday, winds and heavy rains were already battering the island, and the weather said the chances were now high.
The reports were the same by Saturday and Sunday, with a high potential of reaching tropical cyclones, heavy rains, and wind gusts of up to 39 miles per hour.
People were preparing for possible power outages without waiting for a Facebook update. Reports coming from the National Emergency Management Office and the Weather Bureau indicated a possible increase in windspeeds to the storm category but did not indicate any cause or need to panic.
Early Monday morning, winds picked up along with rain. The wind and rain rose in intensity in a very short time but also, in less than an hour, it died down significantly. Surprisingly there was a high level of damage in certain parts of Koror, especially along the island’s southwest side.
Along the southwestern part, from the Ngerbeched coast to Madalaii, Koror State suffered damages with roofs flying off. Most visible was the Long Island Pavilion, where the whole roof flew, with a large segment falling into the ocean.
And just as fast as it came, it left, heading toward the Philippines. Meanwhile, the sun came up bright on Tuesday, challenging the report that there was ever a damaging storm the day before.