Typhoon Parma hours from landfall on Northern Luzon, Philippines 2230GMT 02 October 2009
X marks the spot where James and I drove into the eye of Parma on the coast road not far
from the town of Sanchez Mira.
Parma as a Supertyphoon at 2330hrs on the 30 September 2009
Breakdown number 1
Breakdown number two ......the typhoon has started.... so many more breakdowns to come
Tracking map from JMA showing the crazy track of Typhoon Parma
**Update at 2140hrs Philippines time Sat 03 October**
Typhoon Parma / Peping making landfall now on northern Philippines, myself
and James Reynolds, along with our jeepney driver and 3 of his friends are
somewhere on the far northern coast of Luzon in the eyewall of Parma,
darkness fell as furious winds bought down trees and live power lines on our truck, while
James was being electrocuted while holding onto the roof I was jumping on one of the
others, who had the door open and was seconds from death had I not stopped him. The
vehicle protected us well from the electricity and James is fine apart from a numb hand,
we promptly got stuck on another set of live powerlines before deciding to stop where we
are, in the middle of nowhere, it is now too dangerous to move anywhere, it probably was
before we drove into the live lines. Geoff
**Update at 1300 Philippines time Sun 04 Oct**
After breaking down a dozen times, getting
stuck in a ditch and hitting yet more power lines we are now stranded at a roadside
brothel, the policeman,called Elvis,who lives next to the brothel, is arranging a vehicle
for us which may arrive before nightfall, that is, if the road to Laoag is not blocked by
mudslides powerlines, trees and dead water buffalo. Think we could make all this up...
I dont think so....Its not all bad, the people here have been great and the hospitality
has been awesome and the eye of Parma passed right over us.
**Update at 2100hrs Monday 05 Oct Philippines time**
Last night was furious enough but today, as we tried to get out of the area, Typhoon Parma
struck again with high winds and flash floods, our van stalled in a flash flood and started
washing backward down the road between Sanchez Mira and Laoag, which had become a river.
**Update timed at 2140 hrs Local time Philippines. Monday 05 Oct 2009**
Typhoon Parma / Peping has stalled just off the coast of Luzon, Philippines
and is rapidly intensifying again, its future movement is uncertain at this time
but Laoag city is being hit by torrential rain already, the above forecast shows
the typhoon hitting us again within 24 hours. X on the chart above shows the
location of Laoag City. The ground floor of our hotel is already well underwater
and things will probably get much worse. The satellite loop on the above
video shows Parma's rapid intensification along with the awesome
view of Supertyphoon Melor to the right, the most powerful storm on earth
in the last 2 years with sustained winds of 270kph (170mph)
Update timed at 1200 hrs Local time Philippines. Tuesday 06 Oct 2009
It is still raining hard here, the hotel is still flooded, the Philippine Airlines flight
into Laoag this morning had to abort its landing and return to Manila.