KWSN Orbiting Fortress

Michelle · Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 8:28 pm Post subject: I am very, very scared...

Sir Fart, could you please blast this huge monster to pieces or at least blast it out to sea! This could be a huge catastrophe if it hits land. There won't be much left standing, and almost all of S.E. Queensland will be a disaster area.
it's about as powerful as hurricane Katrina and we're right in the firing line if it stays on this course.

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Killerrabbit · Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 9:12 pm Post subject:

Run for the hill in the middle of the country, that might be high enough, or call FEMA.

Ni
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Sir Papa Smurph · Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 10:02 pm Post subject:

Just what the He11 is going on down there???

Fires, Floods, Brutal Heat Waves and now Typhoons?

Y'all need to get right with the Almighty, & Right Quick Y'hear....
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KWSN imcrazynow · Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 11:10 pm Post subject:

You got any friends or family 50-75 miles WNW of you that you can go visit quickly? #ni-1

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Michelle · Posted: Sat Mar 07, 2009 11:31 pm Post subject:

No, we haven't. Confused

It's been downgraded to a 4 on the latest map, still extremely dangerous but not quite as bad as 5.
http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDQ65002.shtml

Even if it comes in a bit north of the bay, we'll still cop a sh*tload of rain and wind but that's a heck of a lot better than head-on because when you look at the map this area is like a funnel with Fraser Island so close to the coast. That's the best case scenario i.m.o. at the moment but anything could happen. It may suddenly turn east or west in the next 24 hours, although the BOM has been pretty accurate with the tracking so far.

Here's me thinking that we've been so lucky because we haven't had any major events like all the recent floods up north and the bushfires down south. Rolling Eyes

Papa Smurph - Cyclone not typhoon. Cyclones are our version of hurricanes and typhoons. All pretty much the same but different name.
As for the Almighty...well not so much a believer along those lines. Sort of what you could call a 'submarine' catholic - it only surfaces when it's needed. As for the rest of the time, I prefer to believe in the universe, nature, synchronicity, coincidence, St. Anthony (he's a good one to help find lost things) and 'the powers that be' (not the malevolent or smiting).
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Sir Papa Smurph · Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 4:13 am Post subject:

Well, I hope you & yours come out of this OK.....

As for the Almighty, I meant

Of Course

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a.k.a. Licentious of Borg.........Resistance Really is Futile.......
and a Really Hoopy Frood who always knows where his Towel is...

Michelle · Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 4:52 am Post subject:

Oh, that Almighty. Walker - Texas Ranger! #ni-1

My son was a Walker fan when he was about 10. Laughing

I thought you meant this Almighty - Clicky!

Wind is picking up a bit here, and we've had some rain. The general consensus seems to pointing to landfall around Bundy or Hervey Bay, but the new track map is a bit strange. It looks like a guessing game at the moment. Fraser Island has been evacuated. The ex called this afternoon and asked when we were going. We've really got nowhere to go, and the car is playing up too much to even contemplate going anywhere. He offered his place as he is going to his parent's place southwest of Brisbane for the next few days but we'd be no better off there, possibly worse if the cyclone makes landfall south of here. Besides, he doesn't want us to take the pets there and there's no way I'll leave them behind.
We've got bottles of water, tape for the windows, extra canned food, plastic garbage bags for valuables. There's not much more we can do other than try to be prepared.
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KWSN imcrazynow · Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 8:26 am Post subject:

You can get the heck out. Being safe in the middle of nowhere is better than in danger at home. Pack up,get out and go camping someplace safe. Have you ever been through a direct hit by a cyclone or hurricane in our case here of this magnatude. It can get real ugly real quick. BTW, how far inland are you and your elevation above sea level?
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Michelle · Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 10:44 am Post subject:

I've had some close calls with cyclones over the years, but never directly affected as they've veered off in another direction or passed by without coming closer.
Anyway, there's not really anywhere to go. We could get in the car and head 100 km inland and still cop a pile of rain and wind depending on where and when the cyclone comes in.
We've basically got water on 3 sides because we're on a headland sort of thing. The coastline is fairly high on 2 sides so the water would have to come up a long way before we were affected but the coastline on the other side is really low. We're on a hill and our street runs down into the storm surge risk area that I've painted yellow on the map.
The map is a section of the risk map from the council website and I've just cut out and (skilfully Wink

) edited the relevant bit. It says on the map that if you're on the seaward side of the blue lines you should consider self-evacuation a.s.a.p.
We're sort of right on the boundary of the blue lines and the surge area on the low side.
If we were in danger of inundation, almost all of Hervey Bay would already be under water and we wouldn't be able to evacuate anyway.
I can't believe the number of new housing estates that have been built in the low-lying areas! The house we were renting is only a few streets from here, in the low bit, and I'm so glad that we're not there now.

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PhastPhred · Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 11:00 am Post subject:

If we come there for your next PGGB Pajama Party, we'll bring WaterWings! Laughing

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Killerrabbit · Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 11:13 am Post subject:

I would say leave now and go as far inland as you can go.

Ni
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Grizzly · Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 11:18 am Post subject:

Oh Sh*t Michelle - I come to the party late again !

Several things to do - GET out if you can (Take pets) .
Fill every container you have with potable water - this includes your bath if you cannot move
Point your car in the right direction for immediate flee if you have to .
Plan exit route beforehand as best you can .
Full fuel in car , and charged battery - if enough fuel , leave engine running (with NO-ONE in car !) If petrol fueled , spray ignition electrics with some thing like WD40 )
DO NOT overload car - ie heavy - but you need potable water .
Make sure every radio , CB or otherwise is charged and LISTEN to what is going on around you . And spare batteries .
Food is not too important , but cans are great . AND a can opener Rolling Eyes

Woolen clothes and blankets (they are warm even when wet) Plastic stuff is not so good . (Apart from Space Blankets) .
GOOD Shoes/boots for all .
Go out and steal/borrow a 4X4 NOW Embarassed

If you have to move out , liase with trusted neibours and go in convoy .
Tools , spade , hammer , tow rope (x2), chainsaw (and fuel) .

If fleeing and mud becomes a problem (no traction) , deflate driving wheels/tyres by ~ 15 psi to improve traction by ~50% .

This list has been banged up in 5 mins . I have been through some sh*t like this too (inc one in the UK Shocked

) . Most important is POTABLE water and shelter .

Very best Regds Grizz .
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ohiomike · Prince Joined: 20 May 2007 Posts: 858 Location: Sometimes

Yankton · Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 12:18 pm Post subject:

holy smokes!!

That vacation in Tasmania...it may be a good time!

They have it right, better safe then sorry. Take essentials and pets and go camping for a few days. Don't worry about the house, if it doesn't make it then that's all the more reason not to be there when it gets hit! Bebop over to Cloncurry or something in that direction. Some risks just aren't worth taking. Move your butt now!
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KWSN - Sir Brian C....... · Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 1:46 pm Post subject:

from this, looks like you might be OK,

http://www.tropicalstormrisk.com/tracker/dynamic/200918P.html

hope all goes well down there....

Keith #ni-1

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Michelle · Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 5:10 pm Post subject:

Well, thank Chuck Norris!
Evacuating would have been the sensible thing to do, but the car has been playing up so much that it wouldn't have made it anyway.
Yankton, Cloncurry would take about 4 days of driving from here. Laughing

It was nice to wake up and see that the map had changed. The BOM now has it heading in the same direction as the map that Sir Brian posted.
#ni-1

It's gone from heading straight here, to getting near the top of Fraser Island and doing a u-turn to head in here, to bypassing us.
http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDQ65002.shtml
We've now got the cyclone warning for this area so we'll still have to be ready just in case it changes and heads in.
Hopefully, by that time it will have weakened considerably and wouldn't cause so much damage.
The thought of a direct hit by a category 4 here is...well, it wouldn't be as bad as New Orleans because Hervey Bay is a lot smaller, but the low-lying areas would be completely inundated and destroyed.
The next update is 11am so I'll be keeping fingers crossed that it shows the same movement.
Grizz - Really good tips! Thanks!

Yankton · Posted: Sun Mar 08, 2009 8:13 pm Post subject:

4 days makes it PERFECT! By the time you get there, realize you don't like it there, it's another four days to get home, at which point the cyclone will have done it's thing and moved on!

#ni-1

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Michelle · Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 6:51 am Post subject:

I already know I wouldn't like it there! It's even further west than Charters Towers! We had 2 years in C.T. before coming here and that was more than enough 'outback' for me. Confused

Hamish is still cat. 4, and looks like staying out over the water for a while yet. Can't complain about that! The longer the better.
The wind has been gusting up and it has been raining today, but nothing major so far. Tomorrow might be different but we'll have to wait and see what happens. The BOM have Hamish hovering off the end of Fraser Island for Tuesday night/Wednesday and doing a 'loop-the-loop' but I think they don't even know what is going to happen. It's extremely unusual to have a cyclone of that intensity so far south.
We picked up some empty sand bags today from the S.E.S., and there was a big pile of sand that had been dumped on a vacant block of land so that people could fill their sandbags.
My daughter's maths teacher and her kids pulled up beside us, minus a shovel, so we helped them after we'd filled our bags. Then my son went to help an older lady who was trying to fill a pile of bags on her own with nothing but a little plastic dustpan.
It was quite a little social outing. All these people chatting while they were filling their sand bags. Laughing

Stupid car played up again today too, so it would be totally useless if we needed to evacuate anyway. Confused

No idea what's wrong with it. The spark plugs were done a couple of months ago, and I put on new spark plug leads yesterday, as well as a bottle of that injector cleaner stuff in the petrol tank. Hasn't helped at all. No power, chug, surge, cough, cough. Stupid cars!
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KWSN imcrazynow · Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 7:01 am Post subject:

Try a fuel filter. May be clogged and only letting very little fuel get by.
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mohrorless · Posted: Mon Mar 09, 2009 7:01 pm Post subject:

Fuel filter definately sounds like the cause.

Current info:

makes it look like it is projected to pass Michelle by.

It's better if you were prepared though Michelle. Grizz knows what he is talking about. Potable (drinkable) water is your most important resource tight now. You can go 3 weeks without food, but only 3 days without water. Those 3 days will pass fast if your water supply is gone. Fill the tub, any buckets & pans you have around. Put lids on the them if you have them. Fill any other food containers (rubbermaid or tupperware) if you have them. Prepare a first aid kit. Put it in a zip top plastic bag to keep it all dry. Radio, flashlight and spare batteries. Charge a cell phone if you have one and put it into a plastic bag too. Pack a small bag with a change of dry clothes for each of you too. Put that in a big garbage bag you can tie shut. Keep it all handy incase you have to go right away! You won't have time to pack it up later. Put some clothes, water and a little food for humans and animals in the car. If you have to go right away, you will not have time to stop and grab it. The pets will be tough enough to corrall at that point, so be ready ahead of time.

If now isn't the time to surfce the Catholicism, then when is? Say a prayer or 2. It can't hurt. Hell I'll say a few for you too. Do you think I might have just ruined any chance of the prayers had of working by throwing in the "Hell" up there? Cool

Even if your car is goin putt putt, it's better than going on foot. It will provide some protection from the elements and small flying things. Plus you will get further, faster than if you are on foot.

Good lock Michelle.