Image by NASA Goddard Photo and Video via Flickr

My pal in Taiwan has a day off today – a Typhoon Day. My North Carolina family is picking up after Hurricane Irene. Worry etches the octogenarian‘s face as we are sandwiched between the consequences of both storms.

Hurricane and typhoon are regional terms for a tropical cyclone. Within the regions where the terms are used, there are further differentiations. You can tell where a person lives by the name he or she uses to refer to an approaching cyclonic storm.

Our thoughts are with all.