Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
We hope you enjoy your visit.


You're currently viewing our forum as a guest. This means you are limited to certain areas of the board and there are some features you can't use. If you join our community, you'll be able to access member-only sections, and use many member-only features such as customizing your profile, sending personal messages, and voting in polls. Registration is simple, fast, and completely free.


Join our community!


If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features:

Username:   Password:
Add Reply
News from downunder .....
Topic Started: Mar 7 2009, 05:26 AM (226 Views)
somerled
Member Avatar
Admiral MacDonald RN
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.... :handshake: ,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 !!! :jawdrop: and there advise to residents is to batten down the hatches , stay inside and pray (and
Quote:
 
kiss their arses goodbye
.... 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.
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
A.Q.
Commander
Gee, my sister and father live in Queensland, and their under threat from the same cyclone! They live in Hervey Bay...
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
somerled
Member Avatar
Admiral MacDonald RN
It's , as off 10pm , been upgraded to category 5 .... !!! :jawdrop: Yikes !!! :jawdrop: 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.
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
Mel
Member Avatar
Coffee Lover
Somerled,

I'm wishing and hoping for your son's safety.
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
somerled
Member Avatar
Admiral MacDonald RN
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.
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
somerled
Member Avatar
Admiral MacDonald RN
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.
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
A.Q.
Commander
Lousy ingrate, hey? Hervey Bay is still under threat, though he's hoping it wipes out my sister, scum that she is...
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
Mel
Member Avatar
Coffee Lover
Glad he's ok, Somerled.
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
fireh8er
Member Avatar
I'm Captain Kirk!
That's great news to hear that your son weathered the storm. :thmup:
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
somerled
Member Avatar
Admiral MacDonald RN
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 .

Quote:
 
Remarks:

Severe Tropical Cyclone Hamish poses a threat to exposed coastal and island communities between Yeppoon and Hervey Bay [including Heron, Fraser and Lady Elliot Islands]. The cyclone is expected to maintain a southeast track parallel to the coast during the next 24 hours. In the 24 to 48 hour period the cyclone is expected to become slow moving and weaken slightly.

Damaging winds are expected to continue to affect exposed coasts and island communities between Yeppoon and Hervey Bay.

Damaging winds are not expected to develop about coastal and island communities between Hervey Bay and Tewantin during the next 24 hours, however they may develop within 48 hours.

As the cyclone moves to the southeast, sea levels are expected to be elevated above the normal tide along the coastline and large waves may produce minor flooding along the foreshore. People living in areas likely to be affected by this flooding should take measures to protect their property as much as possible and be prepared to help their neighbours.

People between Yeppoon and Hervey Bay should immediately commence or continue preparations, especially securing boats and property.

People between Hervey Bay and Tewantin should consider what action they will need to take if the cyclone threat increases. If you are unsure about the actions to be taken, information is available from your local government or local State Emergency Service.

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.
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
whitestar
Member Avatar
Captain
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.
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
somerled
Member Avatar
Admiral MacDonald RN
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 .....

Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
somerled
Member Avatar
Admiral MacDonald RN
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.
Offline | Profile | Quote | ^
 
ZetaBoards - Free Forum Hosting
Enjoy forums? Start your own community for free.
Learn More · Register Now
« Previous Topic · Ten Forward · Next Topic »
Add Reply

Tweet
comments powered by Disqus