A typhoon hit Taiwan yesterday, strong enough to raise the "schools & offices out" flag but weak enough to keep the water, gas, DSL, and 7-11 up. Extra holiday with all the lifelines kept intact? Pure luxury. The internet was snail-slow (looks like it has taken the place of couch-potato TV) and all the good foods were taken from the 7-11s but it was worth it.
We had three such bonus days two years ago, for me the first year in Taiwan. Everybody in the company outside Taiwan might thought this island was a mining field in terms of weather, but for newcoming settlers, a bliss.
I guess the source of confusion is that the word "typhoon" is used in describing both situations, in Taiwan and Katrina-class disasters.