Cyclone - north Queensland

[Tomo]

Looks like the Cyc hit north Queensland last night and is still there now... hope all those up there are fairing ok. Hows it going?

 

Thinking of you all...

 

 

[Spin]

Been speaking to mates up thataway, all report minimal structural damage, quite a few trees down or damaged though. In general looks as though they dodged the bullet, not that it's going to be much consolation if you're one of those in Proserpine that lost roofs etc.

 

Without exception though the guys are shattered after a worrying night bunkered down, I think those reports of 202kmh gusts on Hamilton really got everyone on edge, although it doesn't seem that it got that high anywhere on the mainland.

 

Hope all our forum members (and their aircraft are ok)!

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

All good here in Townsville, went out yesterday and tied aircraft down (in the hangar) but not a lot of effect up here, mostly to the South around Airlie, Prosepine and Mackay. Will check later with friends at Hidaway bay and Shute Harbour...............................Maj..

 

 

[bones]

Minimal wind here, and only just started to rain now properly, still only light rain, so much for the big down pour they were warning about, the low is only about 100kms south of us nowish.

 

Charters towers

 

 

[Ballpoint 246niner]

I was working up there in the late 80's when Charlie hit at Cape Bowling Green just nth of Bowen - we were stuck at the whitsunday sands resort in fibro huts-pretty scary! For everyone in the area we're all just glad there were no human cost reported. I'ts beautiful country which heals and the people are all genuine aussies. So hang in there and think of fine winter days ahead!

 

 

[winsor68]

WOOHOO!!!

 

What a night... Lost power last night about 2300hrs... been out of communication with no power until now.

 

I was at work yesterday at Mackay Airport... all reports leading up to the Cyclone pointed towards it being a non-event... Suddenly about 1300hrs Saturday it all changed with the understanding that Ului was strengthening and expected to go Cat3. The airport shut at 1400hrs and we went home to make final arrangements to bunker down at home. As the afternoon went on the gusts increased steadily until at about 2100hrs an eerie calm (or relative to what the afternoon had been gusting) descended over Mackay... Starting at about 2200hrs the wind gusts started to pick up, and up, and up, and up. I was in and out of the chat room here over the course of the evening until at about 2300hrs (may have been a little earlier) we lost power.

 

The wind continued to pick up as midnight rolled around and continued with the house juddering and shacking... I was on our relatively sheltered back verandah at around 2330 and was amazed to see what seemed enormous explosions of green light coming from the city as (I am guessing) power lines were being brought down.

 

The wind continued to increase and did not abate until sunrise Sunday morning... about 0530hrs, and by 0800hrs all was eerily calm again.

 

Drove to work at 1500hrs (after finally sleeping for a few hours in the stifling heat) and the damage was evident mostly with trees uprooted and foilage covering everything... sort of looked like someone had been hedgetrimming wet grass and thrown the debris on everything... you should see all the stuff stuck on the cars... and with street signs blown over.

 

Mackay airport has roof damage but was fully operational in time for all flights in the afternoon, running on the back up generator until evening.

 

This was my first cyclone... when the airport shut and I arrived home there was a time when I was thinking "After all the hubbub if this thing doesn't come it will be a bit dissappointing..." The feeling was only brief but nonetheless...

 

When things went calm just before the storm was the strangest moment... and even though calm you could hear a heaviness to the air that is hard to describe... sort of like a really heavy sea sound heard from a distance but a really "heavy" sound.

 

And I can certainly say that I never, ever want to experience another cyclone... It is hard to describe the intensity of the weather... we have all seen heavy rain and heavy winds... Multiply that by an order of magnitude and then imagine that it goes for 5 or more hours without letting up... and then double what you are imagining again. And this was just Cat 3.

 

Next cyclone I am leaving town.

 

 

[winsor68]

p.s. Did I mention the sound of a cyclone in full swing is something that you will never forget... Nature is one scary thing when it howls like a banshee, a freight train, your mother-in-law, and all the shades of hell at once.

 

 

 

[Tomo]

Thanks for that Winsor... Great to hear you got off all good. :thumb_up:

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

I know exactly where your coming from Windsor. My first was when I was five in Townsville in 1956, blew a hangar down at the airport with a Lincoln bomber in it. Althea was my best in 71, as you described, for many many hours. Four dead, mostly beheaded by flying roofing iron whilst attempting to hammer down their own roofs, in the middle of it. Just a bag of fun aren't they ?........Maj..

 

 

[winsor68]

I know exactly where your coming from Windsor. My first was when I was five in Townsville in 1956, blew a hangar down at the airport with a Lincoln bomber in it. Althea was my best in 71, as you described, for many many hours. Four dead, mostly beheaded by flying roofing iron whilst attempting to hammer down their own roofs, in the middle of it. Just a bag of fun aren't they ?........Maj..

I can tell you... I won't be sticking around if another one comes... We were lucky this time.

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

Shame to see a few boats i have crewed on up on the rocks. Maxi Ragamuffin and Annaconda 11 banging away on the rocks. wonder what others were lost in Airlie Beach.

 

I went thru two when i was living there. Celest and Justin. Justin came back 3 times over week as it wandered up and down the coast. We were on the water when Celest spun up out of nowhere had 55kts across the deck, shortened up and put the punters below deck and had a great sail home.

 

When Justin arrived we where still getting ready and ended up spending the night in the laundromat at Able Piont Marina. Managed to get all the food and beer off the boat so it was a pretty good party with some of the other crews there.

 

Ozzie

 

 

[Guest Maj Millard]

Yes a real shame Ozzie, heard there could be up to 20 or so under water also. I have friends down there with boats and I feel for them. No match for cyclonic winds.

 

 

[Mazda]

Thanks for the vivid description!

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

there will be a fair share of Cats and Tri hulls. once the wind gets up and starts to funnell between the hulls they try to fly and flip over. My favouite is a 48ft Crowther Cat called Jade i hope it got thru OK. i worked and lived on it for 5 years.

 

Ozzie

 

 

[bones]

Ok this is from somo one who knows NOTHING about sailing, but wouldnt you be moving the boats if you knew the storm was coming your way, like get it out and head up the coast out of the way ???? im confused like if my machnie was sitting out somewhere and there was a cyclone coming and i couldnt get it in out of the weather, id be flying it somewhere else.

 

 

[winsor68]

Ok this is from somo one who knows NOTHING about sailing, but wouldnt you be moving the boats if you knew the storm was coming your way, like get it out and head up the coast out of the way ???? im confused like if my machnie was sitting out somewhere and there was a cyclone coming and i couldnt get it in out of the weather, id be flying it somewhere else.

I have been wondering the same thing... not just in regards to the boats... but to people in general. I am amazed that people who live up here are so happy to stay at home while the weather does its best to get them to leave. In a pine box.

 

Is it something in the water?

 

 

[Guest ozzie]

A lot of people based on land will board up their homes and head inland. As for the boaties if you can get in early they will try and get up into the creeks amongst the mangroves were you can find some shelter and get every thing you can off the deck remove all the sails and lines and lock up tight get below and just ride it out. If you are in a marina same thing strip the boat down run as many lines as you can and tie all the pontoons together and just hope that the storm surge does not float the whole lot off the poles and run it off onto the rocks. if you are on a mooring well lotsa luck that the waves don't punch a window out and sink you. As for running not many places to head for when you haven't a clue on where the cyclone is going to hit. The people who get hurt or killed are those who leave the preperations to late or are silly enough to go out in it.

 

Some warning signs i got to recognise that a cyclone was in the area. The sea becomes unsure, the swell seems to come from several directions. the fish disappear from shallower waters and a 'lurid' sky, a brilliant copper 360 deg sunset. And the TV and radio start going woop woop woop.

 

 

[Spin]

. And the TV and radio start going woop woop woop.

That raised a smile! I must say though, I was listening to one of the Mackay stations via the internet and that emergency signal is enough to raise the hair on the back of your neck.

 

I was up until about 3.30 watching the whole thing unfold on the internet - and providing a shoulder to cry on for a friend bunkered down in her cupboard in Mackay, fortunately her mobile retained signal until about 8am. We were both in Innisfail a few days after Larry hit, which probably made it even worse for her, knowing just how nasty things can get.