Playing Battleship with Cujo

Tropical Cyclone Donna spun up into a Category 4, then this afternoon went right into Category 5.  The cyclone is still located to the west of Vanuatu, and for now is still slowly headed south.  The operative word here is slowly.  In Port Vila, it has been raining pretty much all day, and it has been windy too.  The weather isn't especially bad so far,  no more than storms in Minnesota.

But the trainees and volunteers have nonetheless been moved to safer locations ("consolidated").  Why, if the weather on the islands isn't worse than an average storm would this be necessary?  Imagine you're at a county fair, and you go to the midway stall where the carnie guesses your weight.  You've managed to squeeze into jeans too small, and in spite of all the cheese curds and funnel cakes today, at the right angle you still think you look good.  The carnie calls 'Next' and there you are, under his gaze.  You suddenly realize that to the trained eye you do look fat in those jeans from any angle, and you're fooling no one.  Maybe it is better if you just leave now, on your own terms, having endured only mild emotional turbulence.  You can always take advantage of the work discount at the YMCA and come back later (Body Pump sounds like fun, right?).  Or, you could stay and try to endure the carnie's unflinching eye as he assesses each and every straining stitch of your jeans.  Frankly, you probably couldn't handle the emotional turmoil right now because you're still reeling from the Brangelina breakup.  Leaving early seems like a no-brainer about now, doesn't it?  Anyway, that's how the Peace Corps official handbook describes it.

Cyclone tracking becomes an activity that many people engage in, like a game.  We were all given sheets of paper titled "Tropical Cyclone Tracking Map" with grid coordinates, as shown here:

 

Every few hours, some agency (I really don't know which) sends out cyclone updates via text message to every phone in Vanuatu.  The updates include the grid coordinates, the storm intensity, what areas are most affected, and other info.  You don't have to sign up for these.  They're important enough that everyone just gets them.

 

You can then use the coordinates given in the text messages to make your own cyclone tracking map.  Lowest number=oldest location.  You can see the cyclone headed west then south.

 

 

Tracking the cyclone is like playing Battleship with Cujo.  Sometimes Cujo just sits there, sometimes he slowly meanders, and sometimes he comes right for you, and you just don't know which it is going to be, or when.