Bring it on Mother Nature

[Bundiibird]

So thank god that is finally over.

It is still raining and a little windy - with a few gusts - but the worst is finally over.

There is quite a lot of destruction around the central queensland area. Just based on the photos in FB, some people are going to be doing it tough tonight. We still have no power and I would think it would off until at least tomorrow sometime. The most important thing is that we are ok and that everyone is ok.

 

[strudel]

When you think of all of the possibilities for damage, having the power off is "nothing" in comparison. Glad it's all over. Have they forecast more rain? Doesn't the rain usually hang around afterwards?

Have you heard from your friends who were right in the "firing line"? Did they come out ok?

 

[JerseyWendy]

I am so relieved it's finally over, Amanda! That sure sounded quite scary!! You all must be exhausted.

 

[Betrisher]

Thanks for the updates, Amanda. I'm so glad you and hubby and the birdies are safe and well. Do you have a barbecue and gas lighting for tonight? Hopefully, the power will be restored quickly and thank goodness you're still able to communicate with the wider world (ie. us). Poor old Queensland sure copped a belting, eh?

 

[Christinenc2000]

Scary stuff glad you are ok / Reading reminded me of the Hurricanes that hit us. Last large one put 5 foot of water under our house. We are 15 foot off the ground. Lost power for close to a week and all autos were sunk . I am so glad you are ok .

 

[Sunset_Chaser]

WOW... Glad that you guys are ok!

 

[Christinenc2000]

WOW... Glad that you guys are ok!

Oh its been a couple years that large one hit us. Just this thread reminded me . I fully understand how scary it can be. SO glad you are ok

 

[Robin]

Let me know if you'd prefer any snow, we have 90" so far this month and a rain/ice storm coming Sunday! Be safe...

 

[Christinenc2000]

LOL Yeah you guys up North are getting slammed. Temp outside right now is a brisk 8 Thank God all the ice is off the roads. You can keep the snow up there.

Stay safe

 

[Dopey]

I'm glad that you are okay.

Sorry Mass is getting slammed this weekend...again. Otherwise I would be taking a trip up to see my daughter and her family.

 

[strudel]

That's not "snow", that's Antarctica! How much snow do you usually get? What's it gonna do when it melts?

 

[Birdman666]

I saw the news this morning and it was cat 2 then.... I thought "oh well, that's not so bad" except they said it's high tide. Wouldn't want to be in a beachside apartment at the moment.

Are you in a cyclone-prone district? Do you have all cyclone-proof stuff?

EDIT: Is Tab going to cop it, too? I'd be worried about the horses....

No, but I would want to be surfing Berliegh Heads a day or two after the storm...

It's going to be Epic!!!

 

[Birdman666]

That's not "snow", that's Antarctica! How much snow do you usually get? What's it gonna do when it melts?

Kayak down Main Street.

Yeah, Mass has gotten several times their normal snow dump this year.

I'm glad I'm in a warm weather state this year!

 

[strudel]

The had guys surfing when the cyclone was coming.... Saw one on tv. He bashed his board on the rocks. Lucky he didn't bash his head.

 

[Birdman666]

The had guys surfing when the cyclone was coming.... Saw one on tv. He bashed his board on the rocks. Lucky he didn't bash his head.

A day or two before, and a day or two after, those are the best waves. Usually the day before, though, the wind is straight onshore, and it's like trying to surf in a toilet bowl that's being flushed!

Berliegh was one of those waves I always dreamed about, along with Kirra...

And Jeffrey's Bay in South Africa, my all time dream wave....

Yeah, I'll take a good point break any day.

I had Maverick's in my back yard in NorCal.

Surfed it exactly once... QUICKLY DISCOVERED THAT IT (i.e. near drowning on every wave attempted) WAS NOT MY THING!

 

[strudel]

Not a day or 2 before, not the day before. TODAY, this morning, when the cyclone was about to cross the shore-line.

 

[Birdman666]

Not a day or 2 before, not the day before. TODAY, this morning, when the cyclone was about to cross the shore-line.

That's called having a death wish... !!!

The size of the toilet being flushed just increased exponentially... i.e. there is no discernable shape or pattern to the stuff coming at you, and then there's that whole, getting picked up and thrown into the side of a building thing...

Most folks would rather avoid being storm debris!!!

Which goes back to the old joke from High School "there's normal people, and then there are surfers!"

 

[Psittaciformes]

Wow, I'd be such a nervous wreck! Sound really scary.
Glad you're okay though

 

[Birdman666]

Having said that, I recall one year when we had 70 mph OFFSHORE winds.

They closed the bridges down shortly after we crossed them... which was exciting in and of itself in a van with boards on the roof... and we were out all friggin' day. (We couldn't go home. The bridges were closed.) 6 to 8 foot swell...

The only time in my life I've ever experienced dropping into a wave, and then been pushed BACK UP THE FACE... which is like... what do I do now. Everything was moving in slow motion because the wind held both wave and rider back. Fortunately, the waves were held up long enough so that you didn't get sucked over with the lip. You ended up doing the "Huntington Hop" just getting down the face.

You could tuck into closeouts because there was a full two seconds of hesitation before the whole thing collapsed on you because of the wind, and you would get shot out by the "backwash" compression and literally spit out the other end. It happened so fast... one second you were in a close out about to get worked, the next second you were riding on air and backwash, and there was sky instead of water above you... only you didn't really know how you got there.

The down side is that the volume of water coming at you was easily 3-4 times as thick as a normal wave because it had been held up so long on the sand bar. These things were easily as thick as they were high.

If you fell off you got clobbered!!!

Fortunately I didn't that day...

So, yeah, I've done similarly stupid things.

One year I waited out a 12 foot set at the end of the half moon bay jetty. Climbed into a hole in the jetty, and pulled my board over my head to protect me from the surge...

Then jumped off the end of the jetty and paddled like hell... GOT TWO SOILD 12 FOOTERS THAT DAY THOUGH, ALL THE WAY FROM THE OUTER JETTY TO THE BEACH...

So, yeah, I guess I was fairly close to being that stupid myself when I was into hard core Surfing. We generally waited for the storm to pass before heading out. We'd be the first waive of people on the beach after the wind died down.

Now?! I'm old and out of shape. Probably couldn't handle anything over four feet.

 

[Bundiibird]

So I'm back!!!

We still have no power and Ergon Energy are staying it could be up to 3 weeks before it is restored to all places. Hopefully it does not take that long for our house.

We have water but they are advising against drinking it as the water treatment plants don't have power so there are no guarantees to the quality of the water. So it's only for showering etc. Can't even wash the clothes as we have no power. But hey things could be worst.

Trish we have a BBQ and hubby setup the generator to run the fridge and freezers. So that should be ok. We were in bed by the time it was dark last night as there has been no phone coverage and no power there is not much that can be done.

The phone reception has just come back on now so I thought I had better update everyone.

We went to check on our new house last night after it had calmed down. The frames went up on Tuesday and I wanted to make sure they were still standing. They were. Yay!!!!

The devastation on the other hand is widespread. There are trees downs everywhere, through houses, fences and signage. It is a real mess. It's going to take a long take to get things back to how they were.