On Monday Southern Mozambique was hit by Tropical Storm Dando. Meteorological technology isn't quite what it is back at home so naturally we had no idea what was coming for us. Monday was the first day of the school year which meant that we had a big meeting with all of the students, teachers, and parents. Monday morning was cool, and I thought to myself, "how nice after so many days of scorching heat". I would soon regret that fact. I arrived at school and our school directors were concerned about where the meeting would be held. Usually it is held in the shade under a grove of mango trees but it was overcast and raining so that would not do. Someone went to check if we could have the meeting at the catholic church up the road since it's the biggest indoor space in our town. We rounded everyone up and filed into the church. After everyone was organized they decided that it wasn't right to have a church meeting in the house of god so they kicked us out and we squeezed maybe 200 people into a classroom made for 30 students. When the meeting finally started it was raining cats and dogs and the corrugated metal roof over our heads was flapping and threatening to blow off. When the meeting ended everyone took off for their respective houses. I closed up my house as best I could, wrapped myself up in a rainjacket with a backpack with anything that I would need and took off to my boyfriend, Francelino's house. Trees had fallen down, roofs were coming off, and the wind was blowing like crazy. I made it to his house running and wading through the roads to get there. When I arrived he had secured the metal roof with extra cement blocks. We locked ourselves in the house, put on dry clothing and tried to go to sleep. The power had already gone out and wouldn't come back on for a few days. In the morning the worst of the storm had passed but it had taken it's toll on the town. Two of my neighbors' roofs came completely off. Luckily mine stayed on, but sustained some damage and one of my rooms flooded. Houses were completely blown over and destroyed, most of the town's farmlands were flooded with water and two classrooms at the school had their roofs torn off by the wind. It's been a slow week of lighter rain and slow reparation of houses, but progress is being made. Pictures coming soon...