Improved weather conditions permitted students to return back to school on Friday December 5, 2014 after Palau was placed on Typhoon warning on December 3th.
At the time, the forecast track on Typhoon Hagupit’s path suggested that it may affect Palau early Thursday December 4th. This placed the country on Typhoon warning.
As a precaution, school operations were cancelled for Thursday. As a relief, the typhoon warning was later downgraded to tropical storm warning and typhoon watch.
Moving towards the west-northwest direction Typhoon Hagupit moved further north sparing Palau.
Typhoon Hagupit was later upgraded to Super Typhoon, a category 5-storm, as it continued its course toward the Philippines.
Around this time last year, Palau was devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan nearly a year after Super Typhoon Bopha caused major damage.