Gonu is now gone with the wind - time to reflect!

It is time to reflect post-Gonu. Here are a dozen things gathered from here and there that I wish everyone knew. Sharing it with you!

1. Life is short, and any day may be your last. Live so as to not regret your last day.
2. Family is the most important thing in our tenuous lives.
3. Family is what happens to people when they spend time together. Eat meals together, with the TV off of course. Laugh together.
4. Life is easier when you work as a team.
5. Nature is powerful.
6. Water is precious.
7. We all have similar needs.
8. Good and bad exist together.
9. Time is in short supply and there are oversupplies of opportunities.
10. Sometime it is good to remember that not all the world has access to very basic things in life (water, food, electricity and other things).
11. There are so many people who invest for tomorrow rather than for today.
12. Nothing remains constant; everything is in a flux of change.

Muscat Gonu Effect Update: Free water distribution outlets

Following are some of the places that has come to my notice where free water is distributed to the public. Hope this helps someone.

1. Before Al Mawaleh roundabout (right side).
2. After Al Rusayl roundabout while coming from Seeb (right side).
3. Al Khoud near to the second roundabout after The Sultan Center.
4. Al Khoud near the Majesty’s mosque
5. Maysoon street near the new big Mosque.
6. Lulu, Al Ghubra roundabout
7. After Ramez supermarket on the way to Seeb
8. Mabela south near Oman Oil petrol station, before the industrial area near the signals
9. Mabela south near the military camp.
10. Al Hail south, near the shell petrol station.
11. Wadi kabir water filling station.
12. Ruwi water filling station.
13. Boucher water filling station.

Readers out there - if you know of any places other than listed above, kindly add those names via the comment box below or send me a separate e-mail please at info dot vkn at gmail dot com.

Most of our staff and contacts are now reachable over phone from over the Muscat areas except Wadi Hatat where only four-wheelers can go in, the movement is very slow, and communication is yet to be restored. There are helicopter services to get food and water to the civilians trapped in that area. Per the latest figures released by the ROP, in the entire Oman 49 people have lost their lives and 27 are reported missing.

Muscat Water Crisis due to Storm Gonu - Minister's Address to Nation!

Here is Director General of Water and Electricity HE Mr. Sayed Al Nabhani's address to nation on June 9, 2007, regarding the ongoing water crisis in Muscat, Oman. Thanks FM Radio Sultanate of Oman team in getting this inspiring address in your broadcasts.

Folks in Muscat - please listen to this address carefully and do not get panic. There are so many free water distribution outlets. I will list them down in a separate post. If you find any private water contractor charging exorbitant monies that usual, do not hesitate to call ROP and report the matter.


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Gonu is Gone! - The Mighty Gonu Videos

Folks - as promised before, here are some of the videos to share with you to get a feel of The Mighty Gonu which striked here at Muscat, Oman.

1. Storm 1.

2. Storm 2.

3. Storm 3.

4. Storm 4.

5. Storm 5.

6. Blind drives.

7. Dare devils.

8. Car rescue.

9. People rescue.

10. Water water everywhere, but...

11. Rescue efforts by civilians.

12. Destroyed roads 1.

13. Destroyed roads 2.

There are some more videos to share with you which I will add to this list as and when I can.

Please send me an e-mail at info dot vkn at gmail dot com if you would like to use any of these Mighty Gonu Videos elsewhere. Thanks.

Gonu Effect

Please send me an e-mail at info dot vkn at gmail dot com if you would like to use any of these Gonu Effect pictures elsewhere. Thanks.

Burka reports 9 confirmed deaths

This is a sad news to share with you. One of my friends from Burka reports that at least 9 deaths are confirmed at Burka which includes 2 children of ages approx. 6-7 years and an entire Omani family along with their Filippino maid were died on the Gonu night.

Gonu is gone, but...

Folks - I could not come back to you as there were no network coverage near my place.

Things are getting normalized at a faster pace. After making quite a lot of visible damages to Muscat city, Gonu is now gone. Do check out the pictures that I will be posting at here in a while and a few videos at You Tube. Oops.. we really do not know how many days and months it would take for the authorities to bring back Muscat how it was before. Police, defence, security personnel, ambulance services, volunterring research and rescue guards, etc., all are working very hard and can be seen all over the main roads and interior placess with their walky-talkies taking initiatives to help the needy and to restore the badly affected roads. The water-filled roads were the main obstacles for everyone to reach the people who needed help while Gonu was striking.

The general public seems to be totally out of fear now. May be some of them are in a picnic mood taking pictures posing in front of a damaged building, tree, or a car. This would definitely disturb the personnel who are working very hard in getting things under absolute control. Government has announced 4-day holidays, so I think people should stay at home and not to travel on the roads without a valid reason. This would help the officials in some way. May I request my Omani readers not to take things soo lightly. Please do stay at home. Stay dry and safe.

Many vital roads, roundabouts, vehicles, houses and buildings, so many trees, small bridges, causeways, etc., were all washed away or destroyed by the storm and rain water.
I have received the confirmed news of only 4 death cases so far; 2 at Seeb and 2 at Qurum. There could be many; this is scary because quite a lot of rain water is still flowing at some of the wadis as small rivulets. There is no water supply in most of the areas. Electricity is yet to come back at Al Qurum, Hail, and Darsait regions. Most of villages are disconnected from the main city as the roads are cut by the wadis and can not be used until new roads are constructed or an alternative arrangement is made. We hope that we would be able to return back to work by tomorrow morning. Insha allah!

That is it for now folks. More later. There seems to be some snags from my side in uploading pictures at Flickr and videos at YouTube for now; I will keep trying. Stay tuned!

Thanks for all your prayers and comments given via this blog comments. It is definitely an other source of inspiration to us here. Cheers!

Storm Gonu Update: Nawras network coverage is now back in Oman!

I could not get you any updates due to the disrupted communication network coverage of Nawras, our ISP. It is all restored now. Thanks Nawras team, great work done. I have quite a few short videos to share and will post it here in a short while. Just stay tuned.

In brief,

At Oman Time 0945 hours, all rains have now stopped since early morning. There are still mild-to-moderate winds. We could also see thick clouds flowing faster all over the sky. So happy to feel the pleasant sunny light outside. There are instructions from ROP for the villagers (one of my friends at Al Sumail reported this to me) not to travel to the main city Muscat as most of the wadis are still overflowing over the main roads and they are blocked.

So, we all are dry and safe. Do not worry!

I plan to get my bike out and pedal to nearby places and will get you pictures of Gonu's destructions so far in the nearby places Al Rusayl, Al Khoud, Al Hail, and Al Seeb areas, if I could find any. More later. Cheers!

Storm Gonu Update: Video #1

Storm Gonu Update: Important Notice!

Royal Oman Police is urging the public living near low grounds, coastal beach and wadi paths, to move to evacuation centers or move to safer higher grounds immediately.

Folks - please pass on this information.

Also for latest update on Storm Gounu, just send an SMS with keyword GUNO to 90500. This information is from Oman Mateorology Office.

Storm Gonu Update: Things are getting worse at 1445 hours Oman Time!

Once upon a time, this was known to be a road in front of our house and now more or less looks like a vibrant river.

Dare devils still taking a risk driving on the risky roads.

At 1445 hours Oman Time, strong wind, very high waves, and fierce rains continues to affect here at Muscat region. We could hear some very strong thunders lately. It is really scary and there is fear everywhere. There are no visible pedestrians on the road. Yes, it seems like all 'muscateers' are cocooned inside their houses with their family and kids.

Storm Gonu Update: Overpouring wadis across the main roads at 0740 am Oman Time

Rain has once again started downpouring all across Rusayl, Al Khoud, and Hail areas of Muscat where water from the wadis are overflowing onto the main roads. There is also diminished visibility to zero at some places which makes it difficult for drivers to see. Rain is currently ongoing. Wind speed seems to be reduced though. There are reports from other places that things are getting worser every minute but I have not come across any untoward incidences so far except that I have seen some fallen trees on the roads due to heavy winds. It seems it is wise to stay in the car at times and turn on the emergency flashers until the heavy rains subside.

More later.

Storm Gonu update: Gonu Clouds at 0550 hours over KOM at Oman Time

At 5:50 am, we have noticed rains have subsided considerably at this place, but there are reports from other places that it is worse. Some of the wadis have started flooding causing roadblocks. It is not safe to travel outside now. I am now traveling back home from this place which is around 12 kms from here. I know it is risky. Hope I could shoot some pictures on the way. More later.

Storm Gonu update: Thick Gonu Clouds at 0440 hours Oman Time

It is raining cats and dogs since 0435 hours at Rusayl area of Muscat teaming down like a foundain outside and it is quite gusty as well. Wind is pretty harsh. Within minutes, we could see roads are filled up with water almost 2 cms in height all over. It is going to be worse soon. Picture scene of the black thick Gonu cloud is over the Knowledge Oasis building at 0400 hours Oman Time. More later.

For more information about health centers on duty in Muscat, please call +968 2456 4720. This news is from National Committee for Civil Defence.

Gonu is hitting us at Muscat tonight!

Picture courtesy: Gulf News

Gonu is hitting us at Muscat today! Read more news here and all over the internet.

I along with some of my colleagues have decided to stay awake the whole tonight. Here is my telephone number +968 9521 8047. If anyone needs help, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Some other emergency contact numbers in Muscat, Oman, are as follows.

Royal Oman police - 9999

Royal Hospital - +968 24599525

Armed Forces Hospital - +968 24599525

Rusayl Emergency - +968 24446410

The ROP have said they will issue three-hourly updates. These will be transmitted through the general media, including FM radio and the Oman News Agency website.

Pass on this info if you know of someone in need. Cheers!

I will get you more news and picture after Gonu's blowout.

Folks – do pray for all Muscat people tonight and tomorrow!