Word of the Day: Stopgap
A stopgap is a temporary solution, such as emergency repairs, to a problem until a better, and a more permanent solution can be found.
When we have a typhoon in Japan, there are usually small landslides that block roads.
These small landslides are immediately removed, and the roads opened, but this is only a temporary measure until the mountain can be reinforced with concrete or the road protected by a retaining wall.
In addition to typhoons, windstorms also cause damage that needs temporary repairs.
Unfortunately, sometimes a windstorm will destroy the rooves of homes.
To prevent rain from coming in, people will put blue tarpaulins over the roof as a stopgap until the professionals can come to repair the roof permanently.