How the People of Guam Keep It Together

My first year living on Guam I went through a typical typhoon season. I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive. Rain that is literally coming down sideways with no visibility can be alarming to anyone. Even though Guam was at a Threat Condition Level 2 involving destructive winds of up to 60 miles per hour, I did not see panic in any form. There were never any long lines at the few local grocery stores we have outside the military bases, because readiness is an everyday objective for people living on Guam.I spoke to the general manager of one of the beachside resorts at a chamber of commerce meeting one day, and he told me that a decade earlier the storms were so intense the wind blew out the main lobby of his hotel and caused an incredible amount of damage on the island. However, he said, "We re-built and built better and stronger."The three years I lived on Guam several bad storms hit the island and the neighboring island of Saipan in the Marianas and caused considerable damage. Recovery happened soon, and I even met FEMA representatives who deployed from stateside locations to the affected areas to assist local responders.  Continue reading...