巨風愛倫訪港25週年有感

Stucked in Macua Silver Jubilee - September 8-9, 1983

時介九月，我特別感觸，因9月8日及9日兩天，是我被困澳門25週年之期．當是時巨風愛倫訪港，港澳兩地分別亮起10號風球．也是消防員招成就殉職和張偉良（現時香港傷殘金牌劍撃手）飲恨之時．

Tomorrow is the 25th anniversary of one of my most unforgettable events - stucked in Macau under Typhoon No. 10 - Ellen, one of the most severe typhoons ever visited Hong Kong and Macau.

1983年9月8日清早掛了3號風球，但我在香港長大，打風見慣見熟，所以如常去澳門上班，到下午掛了8號風球，上了水翼船仍是無法回家，急忙趕到當時新開的總統酒店暫避．因酒店無法接待特而其來的大量滯留旅客，長途電話接不通，与家人失去聯絡　（手提電話尚未發明），又要捱肚餓（我當年肚子冇病，食量很大），似難民般（其實真的是難民）輪候了大半天才買得一個非洲鷄飯盒，連骨頭都 dep 了半個鐘頭，那事件告訴我天災之前人人平等．即使澳督在場，亦要捱餓．原來‘食’不是與生俱來的權利，此役之後，令我更加珍惜食物．

From 1982-1984, Rank Xerox seconded me to sell copiers in Macau which required me to travel to Macau daily. When signal No.8 was up on that Thursday afternoon of September 8, 1983, ferries suspended service immediately. Without any preparation, I had to rush to Hotel Presidente as a refugee of typhoon Ellen. No food, no communications with my family in Hong Kong (mobile phone was not invented yet), loniness - a complete unpleasent experience. Lined up for half a day and only managed to buy an African Chicken dinner box, without any choice. That made me truly understand that food is precious and we shouldn't waste any of them in our life.

當時澳門尚未填海，總統酒店就在海邊，本來海景房最值錢，但當年的海景是一看一驚心，水位比平時高出最少十米，眼見驚濤駭浪，直撲酒店大堂，酒店員工拼命與洪水對抗以保障大家安全，那管得煮飯和駁長途電話．

People usually love seaview rooms. But the seaview under typhoon signal no.10 was terrible. In 1983, Hotel Presidente was just at the seaside. Tidal wave flooded the whole hotel lobby. I was wondering if I were really save inside that hotel.

不知怎的，我經常告訴人當年澳門的10號風球掛了18個鐘頭，但最近翻查資料，說是掛了8個小時，熟是熟非很難查証，總之在澳門被困，捱肚餓，與家人斷絕音訊，滋味不好受．要到第二天落咗波，徒步走回公司打電話回家報平安，呀媽聽到我的聲音很開心．

For some reason, I thought Ellen's signal no.10 lasted 18 hours, but recent research shows it was 8. Anyway, being stucked in Macau was a totally unpleasant and unforgettable experience.

愛倫其實是本港四分一個世紀以來最利害的颱風，10號球在香港也掛了8個小時．說也奇怪，往後的16年都再沒有掛過10號球，要到1999年約克先生訪港時才再亮起，不過約克先生的刹傷力要比愛倫輕微．約克之後至今都再沒掛過10號球，只是2003年和最近鹦鹉襲港才掛過兩次9號風球．

1983 癸亥猪年－“愛倫” －襲港澳事件部

1983年9月9日颱風“愛倫” －襲澳事件部

颱風愛倫的路徑與露比相似，於9月9日早上侵襲澳門，最低氣壓963．0百帕，最高陣風150公里／小時。愛倫使澳門懸掛10號風球持續8小時（四十年代以來3次10號風球中最長的一次），災情比1964年颱風露比更為慘重。愛倫肆虐時，澳門水浸交通電訊中斷；內港四、五十艘漁船和水上居民住家艇沉沒；至少有19人死亡或失蹤；財物損失約1千多萬元。1983年也是癸亥年，無獨有偶，六十花甲一回頭，本世紀前後的兩次“癸亥風災”，都給澳門造成了嚴重的災情。


1983年9月9日颱風“愛倫” －　襲港事件部
Thursday Sept 8, 0745 – Signal No.3
Thursday Sept 8, 1445 – Signal No.8 - Anna stucked in Macau
Friday Sept 9, 0100 – Signal No.9 - Anna stucked in Macau
Friday Sept 9, 0200 – Signal No.10 - Anna stucked in Macau
Friday Sept 9, 1000 – Signal No.8 - Anna stucked in Macau
Friday Sept 9, 1737 – Signal No.3

本港10號風球　歷史

想吾想睇吓我1983年個樣 ?

當年我在澳門蘭克斯樂賣影印機，時為 1982－1984

Want to see how I look like in 1983?

Selling copiers at Rank Xerox showroom, Macau

放假仲走返澳門玩，真係傻傻地．
Went back to Macau for holiday! A bit crazy !

攝於美國 Hawaii, 時為1983年復活節． 相片年代久遠，經歷1/4個世紀，失真難免
Hong Kong Outing - Typhoon