In a thatched fale, a traditional Samoan open home, the sound a cyclone makes is harsh, raw and scary.
In the modern version of a fale, an open rectangular structure with corrugated iron roofing and no ceiling, it is also loud, and even scarier, as the roar of the wind pushes the roofing upwards, consistently banging the metal on the wooden frame, causing one to be alert – for at any given moment, the roof can be blown off entirely.
