Super-typhoon all but destroyed our island, but it gave us a gift

I grew up in Manteca, but in 2016 moved to the tiny island of Saipan, 1,500 miles east of Japan. I have been teaching here ever since.

Last Wednesday and Thursday, my island was hit by the worst storm ever to hit U.S. soil – Super Typhoon Yutu, with sustained winds of 180 mph and gusts to 200. The rains soaked everything not blown away.

It was terrifying as I huddled in an apartment with friends listening to the storm, and trying to guess what was being hurled through the air to smash into our building. We stayed up through the night watching the doors bow and rattle violently, hoping they would not give way.

In the morning, when the storm had passed, nothing could have prepared me for the damage that I saw. My island has been almost destroyed.

Tin roofs had been ripped off buildings and were now hanging mangled and impossibly twisted in the trees. Huge trees had toppled, uprooting massive chunks of earth and smashing through buildings. The park behind my apartment was completely flooded: a horrible soup of splintered wood, jagged tin and fallen trees, all seasoned with the trash from the buildings and businesses across the street.

I have heard the stories of people whose roofs were ripped away and how they took cover beneath a bed, lying in an inch of water while trying to stay warm. I know people who stood at their doors during the worst hours of the storm and held them closed to keep their families safe. Some hid behind refrigerators or inside vehicles – vehicles where they now sleep.

Since the typhoon, we have been working to rebuild our little 44.6 square mile island. Each day, I get up early, drink my cold coffee, and get out to work. I have been spending days in the hot sun, clearing what feels like miles of tin roofs, tons of debris and acres of fallen trees, ripping up carpets that have been flooded to clear a place for displaced families to stay in a local church. I helped put the fence back up at our local animal shelter.

Each night I fall into bed as the power goes out around 10, exhausted, but satisfied.

At least I have a bed to fall into. Over 10,000 people remain homeless; more than 500 homes were flattened, according to the Saipan Tribune.

While challenging, this time has also been one of the most beautiful of my life. Seeing neighbors rally together and watching friends give of themselves until there is nothing left to give, and seeing this community pull together. It’s something I never could have imagined.

Walking down the street, random strangers stop for a smile and to ask how your house held up, or how you are holding up or to share a quick word about how things are on their part of the island.

In a strange way, I am the luckiest girl in the world. To be a part of a community that helps its neighbors fearlessly. To watch a whole island stand in the face of horror and pull together. Stand strong. We’re putting the storm in the past, saying goodbye to the things we have lost and looking only forward as we rebuild.

This is something I will never forget; it is something that has changed me. A beautiful lesson I wish every person could see.

The work continues. There are challenging days ahead as power and water shortages continue, and thousands are still without homes. But we are hopeful and we do not lose heart.

The rebuilding process requires many resources that are scarce or nonexistent at this time. The school where I teach issued a press release detailing the needs we are facing. I’m hoping we can get some help out here.

On behalf of Saipan Community School, here’s how you can help:

First, pray for us! Then, go to our Go Fund Me campaign at: www.gofundme.com/rebuild-saipan-community-school and donate whatever you can! Share our link through social media. If you can, send a check to: Saipan Community School, P.O. Box 500069, Saipan, MP 96950.

This story was originally published October 31, 2018 at 1:45 PM with the headline "Super-typhoon all but destroyed our island, but it gave us a gift."