Tropical Cyclone downunder

[Michaelo]

Its about to blow here, I'd thought I would share this with fellow members as you have the extreme weather events in the Northern hemisphere as we do in the Southern. Tropical Cyclone Debbie (cat 4, 230 kilometre / hour wind = 149 mph) is about 24 hours away from crossing the coast just to our North.
At present, we are getting 50 knot gusts, the forecast is for 300mm rain (1 foot).
We have spent two days preparing for this, fuel for the gen set, water, some meals, completed home clean up outside, removed outdoor fan (7 foot across), chained my bike to a post and a myriad of other things.....
Here is the official pic from our weather bureau (BOM)...
We're just out of the "red zone" which is good, but it will still blow that's for sure, also cyclones are bloody unpredictable and you could end up in the red very quickly

 

[Michaelo]

This helps too,

 

[MaxPete]

Aussie friends and colonial brothers - be careful and look after yourselves!

 

[retiredgentleman]

With any luck it will go north from your location. Batten down the hatches, and stay safe!

 

[650Skull]

Like any Natural Disaster we all prefer them to go some ware else..........When it was first muted to hit the coast it was headed for me or close the surrounding area.

2005 and 2011 we had, (Innisfail/Mission Beach/Cardwell area), 2 Category 5's hit, the second in 2011 the eye went right over us. took 40 minutes for the eye to cross, and for 25 mim we walked around out side, the air was as still as and the humidity hit was like walking into a sauna. It was Midnight and looking up the Stars were shining, dam i would have loved to go through that in daylight, seeing the wall of clouds in the eye would be awesome.

Looks like your right in the path Mike................Good luck. Rain hitting now

 

[MaxPete]

Oooohhh - shits of hell. Take care guys.

 

[Michaelo]

Right down the gun barrel now, Cat 3 expect Cat 4.....that was interesting about the eye Skull, hopefully I will not get to see it. Gusting 55 knots at Hamilton Island also...

 

[hotdog]

Good luck Mick, I have a lot of mates up that way in Mackay and Airlie/prossy from when I was at Norwich and Peak Downs. My big Bro's 2yr old place in Bowen is in for a beating....hopefully not too much destruction.
Stay safe,
Regards

 

[650Skull]

Worse case scenario......Better the eye than being on the south side............When the eye went over us, Cardwell just south, (50Klm's as the crow flies), got the tidal surge and constant top force winds.............We had the 40 min reprieve of the eye then when the wind came back from the other direction it wasn't any where near as strong.

 

[Michaelo]

Here is the met view....keep going South ya bastard....

 

[Signal]

Hard to say anything without being trite, but good luck all of you.

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Good grief, Mick. Hunker down buddy. Fingers crossed...

 

[nj1639]

Worse we ever had while living in the South Jersey Cape was 90 mph gusts, over 60 sustained iirc....been a while. Had the eye and then what wasn't beaten in the one direction as she was coming in was beat on in the other once it passed over. Fortunatly it was daytime. I can't imagine 150mph. Be safe, as safe as ya can.

 

[Michaelo]

Thanks for the kind words, I am trying to be occupied whilst waiting for the impending doom ha! Seriously, we are very concerned here, all forecasts are saying a direct hit just to our North, just had 58 knot gust at Hamilton Isalnd which is generally a good indicator of what's coming....

 

[FLEA]

good luck and stay safe mick , looks to be a bad slow moving one , they got a wind warning out for cairns and the tablelands saying it will be dragging the winds in from the west , not from the cyclone , not normal so debbies looking to be a bad one

 

[Michaelo]

Here's a update, blowing gusts of 60 knots now, house is shaking and moving around which is a good thing. Expecting it to cross around 12 hours time, so a long night is ahead....the destructive winds are nearly upon us, power is still hanging on we have a genset connected to our fuse box so it's just a matter of flipping a switch and starting the little beastie...

 

[MaxPete]

Best wishes Mick. P

 

[Michaelo]

Thanks Pete, we are in for a rough ride that's for sure, Cat 4 is just been anounced

 

[TwoManyXS1Bs]

Oh, crap! Cat 4, during high tide, Bowen to Mackay hardest hit, and you're smack dab in the middle of that zone.

The cyclone will be bad enuff.
Then you've got to deal with the aftermath.
Weeks to months to get civilization back to functional...

 

[Michaelo]

In the red zone...101 knots = 187 kilometers /hour....ohhhhh shit