A first for everything

Today we are experiencing our first cyclone. It has been raining and raining all day long! We have actually been having rainy weather for about the past week. The bad thing about the rain here is that the streets flood as there really isn't any place for the water to go and due to all the garbage on the streets the water is littered with trash. Not a very pleasant site. Today the Indian Gov't canceled school and I believe many people stayed home as the roads weren't as crowded as usual. Cyclones are a very serious matter for a huge percentage of the population as a thatched hut with a dirt floor doesn't provide protection from strong winds and heavy rainfall. Power has been an issue for all for the past 24 hours and I can't imagine the dangers that are out there when a power line falls. India has enough problems with electricity! Rain causes problems for many people here as they cook over a wood fire. Today I saw people wading through knee deep water, people attempting to cross the street without getting splashing by traffic, people gathering up branches and sticks and motorcycles going through one foot of water. The surf at the beach is incredible, some waves were as large as 13 feet and the roar of the ocean can be heard from our house. The kids are hoping to have the day off tomorrow (instead of hoping for snow days they now hope for cyclone days!). I am hoping so too as it is Thanksgiving and even though it is an American Int'l School the way the calender days worked they have school on a very American holiday!