Thinking for the people of Queensland
#16
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,787
Re: Thinking for the people of Queensland
Yes it could have been far worse if Cairns or Townsville had ended up in the direct line. Innisfail would have been carnage as well had they not been rebuilt after Larry in 2006 - when incidentally, several mates of mine had their yachts tied up in the mangrove down there (them aboard) with both boats and people surviving intact. I just wish these more freaky TV warnings could have gone out when there was still time to evacuate!! - I saw them about 2 hours before it was due to hit.... Another good but really frightening thing were the text message updates we all got from the government . I think I'll keep those for posterity.
Oh - and how's the cat?!
#18
Re: Thinking for the people of Queensland
The boat, and the other boats roped up in the creek are all fine. Some lost canvas, a few branches fell on us but that's it. Someone did sink in the next creek but it was a really old boat anyway. Even with a category 5 we would have been okay, probably safer than on land as there are basically no windows, and no nearby structures to hit us - it was the predicted storm surge that made us (and almost everyone else) get off as it would have lifted us higher than the protecting trees and pulled off the ropes attaching us. Saw one croc but it didn't bother us and had to be careful with ropes as there are box jelly fish that get wrapped around them. Sadly all those boats in Hinchinbrook would have been fine if they had been shifted into the mangroves - it was just the storm surge that lifted the pontoons off the piles. The cat has recovered. He was petrified and hid in a cupboard for the cyclone. Back on the boat now in Cairns marina he has had a massive chod, plenty of food and is chewing furniture again! It is very sweet that you were all concerned about me!
#19
Home and Happy
Joined: Dec 2002
Location: Keep true friends and puppets close, trust no-one else...
Posts: 93,787
Re: Thinking for the people of Queensland
The boat, and the other boats roped up in the creek are all fine. Some lost canvas, a few branches fell on us but that's it. Someone did sink in the next creek but it was a really old boat anyway. Even with a category 5 we would have been okay, probably safer than on land as there are basically no windows, and no nearby structures to hit us - it was the predicted storm surge that made us (and almost everyone else) get off as it would have lifted us higher than the protecting trees and pulled off the ropes attaching us. Saw one croc but it didn't bother us and had to be careful with ropes as there are box jelly fish that get wrapped around them. Sadly all those boats in Hinchinbrook would have been fine if they had been shifted into the mangroves - it was just the storm surge that lifted the pontoons off the piles. The cat has recovered. He was petrified and hid in a cupboard for the cyclone. Back on the boat now in Cairns marina he has had a massive chod, plenty of food and is chewing furniture again! It is very sweet that you were all concerned about me!
Glad your home - and the cat - are fine! My niece back home gets very worried about the animals in events like this, she'll love the story of you fleeing with puss in the rucksack