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| News from downunder ..... | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Mar 7 2009, 05:26 AM (226 Views) | |
| somerled | Mar 7 2009, 05:26 AM Post #1 |
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Admiral MacDonald RN
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My niece works on and lives on dairy farm in the Latrobe Valley in Victoria , she had a very near miss when driving back to the farm from a visit to Melbourne (she'd been at her mum and dad's place) , she found herself trapped by 5 storey high walls of flame on the road , and luckily for her there were some RVBF tankers handy and she managed to get away OK , I PM's Whitestar and gave some updates , I thank him for passing these on.... ,you're real gent .... The danger for her has now passed (at last as of the other day).Now my elder son who lives in Mackay , and it happens on an exposed point , is under threat by a category 4 Tropical Cyclone , and uncontactable as off last night .... yes I've called his landline and mobile and been told no service temporarily in his area, and can't reach him by hotmail or through facebook , been poking him since last night. Due close off shore Mackay in the next 24 - 48 hours , http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDQ65002.shtml and it could easily chuck a sharp left turn and put Mackay in it's sights and may yet intensify to a category 5. Just called the Mackay Police Station to ask what the situation is like, they told me they are under high alert but at this stage have not issued a mandatory evacuation order (and as it happens - Mackay has no public storm shelter .... great !!! and there advise to residents is to batten down the hatches , stay inside and pray (and .... this is what the constable actually said). They also said there had been some panic in Mackay as Mackay has not experienced a direct TC encounter since the 1940s and many local residents are "blowins" from down south and have never experienced a powerful tropical cyclone. I hate being powerless to help my kid , but I've done everything I can to get him to make proper preps or to go to a safer location. Edited by somerled, Mar 7 2009, 05:30 AM.
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| A.Q. | Mar 7 2009, 05:50 AM Post #2 |
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Commander
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Gee, my sister and father live in Queensland, and their under threat from the same cyclone! They live in Hervey Bay... |
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| somerled | Mar 7 2009, 10:23 AM Post #3 |
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Admiral MacDonald RN
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It's , as off 10pm , been upgraded to category 5 .... !!! Yikes !!! And expected to intensify and grow even stronger still in the next 24 hours.And Mackay is in the danger zone. I've been through a category 5 tropical cyclone and I am now officially very worried about my son's safety (since I haven't seen his current digs and I don't know if his place can withstand such high winds and he lives alone). Bit of luck Hamish will stay on the forcast track and it's eye wont come closer than 100 km from Mackay which still means seriously dangerous winds and a monster storm surge tonight and tomorrow morning at Mackay . I don't want to even contemplate the scenario of Hamish turning to cross the coast at Mackay .... If that happen , I expect serious destruction of older and many newer building and casalties. Still unable reach my son .... poked him again on Facebook . Wifeosaurus went very pale just now when told her Hamish is now Category 5 and is still intensifying. I don't expect to sleep very well tonight, if at all . Edited by somerled, Mar 7 2009, 10:31 AM.
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| Mel | Mar 7 2009, 11:33 AM Post #4 |
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Coffee Lover
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Somerled, I'm wishing and hoping for your son's safety. |
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| somerled | Mar 7 2009, 11:59 PM Post #5 |
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Admiral MacDonald RN
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Looks like Mackay dodged a bullet (Hamish has stayed about 100km off the coast and Mackay only got the edge of hurricane force winds , Hamish has continued to intensify , the danger for Mackay (and my son is not past as Hamish is a huge and powerful TC and can still change course and clobber Mackay directly as it has proven to be very unpredictable. I've not heard from him or been able to reach him. Hamish's eye is about 120km ENE of Mackay as of 4om. Looks like Bundaberg is in Hamish's sights (stock up on Bundies as they may be in short very supply soon !!! , I believe CPA is partial to odd occasional Bundie , the distillary is vuinerable and may be put out of action if Hamish is still a category 5 (even a 4) when Hamish reaches Bundaberg. My big sister lives near Bundaberg at Moore Park Beach. Guess I'd better give her a call and see if she's OK. Edited by somerled, Mar 8 2009, 12:02 AM.
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| somerled | Mar 8 2009, 05:18 AM Post #6 |
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Admiral MacDonald RN
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Just spotted that he has gotten back onto Facebook and posted he's "disappointed with the cyclone ...." .... he should be counting his lucky stars that Mackay and he dodged a bullet. Could have phoned us this afternoon (or one of his grandmums) to let us know he's OK , but guess this hasn't occurred to him. Edited by somerled, Mar 8 2009, 05:20 AM.
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| A.Q. | Mar 8 2009, 06:29 AM Post #7 |
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Commander
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Lousy ingrate, hey? Hervey Bay is still under threat, though he's hoping it wipes out my sister, scum that she is... |
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| Mel | Mar 8 2009, 01:46 PM Post #8 |
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Coffee Lover
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Glad he's ok, Somerled. |
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| fireh8er | Mar 8 2009, 05:43 PM Post #9 |
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I'm Captain Kirk!
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That's great news to hear that your son weathered the storm.
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| somerled | Mar 8 2009, 11:13 PM Post #10 |
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Admiral MacDonald RN
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I am worried about my big sister , she lives in beachside community near Bundaberg. Big seas , storm surges and flooding are the more likely danger to her and her family. Hamish is still a category 4. Looking at the BOM threat map , it seems they forcast it will not now cross the QLD coast but will stay about 150 km out . from http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDQ65002.shtml Been a very long time since Harvey Bay / Bundaberg have been hit by a TC , a lot of older houses there that are not "cyclone proofed". Hamish has been very unpredictable and could easily backtrack to warmer parts of the Coral Sea and reintensify , the danger is far from over. Hamish could directly impact on the north coast of NSW too either as a TC or a very deep and powerful tropical low which packs a lot of wind and rain. We are feeling the effects of Hamish even here in Newcastle, been quite windy since yesterday. Edited by somerled, Mar 8 2009, 11:20 PM.
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| whitestar | Mar 10 2009, 08:52 AM Post #11 |
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Captain
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From a southern QLD point of view, here on the Sunny Coast as I speak it is a little windy, been overcast for 2 days with some rain, I've seen much much worse and so far the ill effects are well overstated in the media. |
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| somerled | Mar 10 2009, 10:46 AM Post #12 |
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Admiral MacDonald RN
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It's now a category 3 (last time I checked the BOM) and still out to sea .... you should be thankful .... it's forcast to backtrack , that means it's heading back to warmer seas ..... Seems my elder boy may be moving south back to NSW , to take up a role as gymnastics coach working in Gosford .... he had a trip down a few days before Hamish arrived off Mackay for a meet and greet and interview .... Bit far for him to commute each day from here , so I expect he'll rent a flat somewhere close to a train station on the Central Coast near Gosford .... Pleased for him ( I assume his gym will pay more ) , pleased he'll be closer to home and family .... But there goes somewhere we could lob in for few days or a week when we head north next and have free accomodation ..... |
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| somerled | Mar 17 2009, 06:04 AM Post #13 |
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Admiral MacDonald RN
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It's official . The prodical son is returning permanently to Newcastle in the first week in April to take up his new professional gymnastics coaching job in Gosford, he's also been appointed to a role with Gymnastics Australia and will be spending a few days at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra on the way. I think he may want to have his room back .... Edited by somerled, Mar 17 2009, 06:09 AM.
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,you're real gent .... The danger for her has now passed (at last as of the other day).
and there advise to residents is to batten down the hatches , stay inside and pray (and

2:22 PM Jul 11