It's 3:30 in the afternoon on Wednesday and we are lying in bed with books trying to pass the time, occasionally glancing out the floor to ceiling windows that surround us. 80 foot high palms are being beaten by the strong gusts of wind, causing them to sway to 45 degree angles at times. The palm branches that will be strewn throughout the property by morning seem to be holding on for dear life while their coconuts surprisingly stay in place. Our house sits on the very edge of the property before a steep decline to the water. A harbor to our right where Ryan watches the boats (we saw a sailboat get washed onto shore during cyclone Anthony) move with the wind, and islands to our left that are now barely visible due to the current massive wall of rain coming at us. Predictions for up to 3 feet of rainfall here overnight. Yikes.
We survived our first ever cyclone a few days ago, the category 2 cyclone Anthony. I am quite glad we were able to go through that one first, because otherwise I am pretty sure I would be utterly stressed right about now. Cyclone Yasi has turned into a category 5 and will be crossing land around 10pm this evening. The eye of the storm is predicted to hit roughly 180 miles north of here. Those poor people of Inisfail.
The winds come in spurts, truly howling and whistling through the palms, often frightening with the unexpected gust. As I write, Ryan is outside taking pictures, occasionally standing in the path of the winds just to get a true feel for what we are experiencing. I think he enjoys the small thrills, although this is not small in my opinion. My insides cringe as I see him take a step around the corner of the deck that puts him directly in the wind path.
We knew we were going to lose power at some point today but assumed it would happen relatively close to heart of the storm. Nope. 11am and the power went out. Being prepared, we charged our computer (obviously since I am writing on it now) and have our "emergency bags" filled with lights, candles, batteries, food, water, games, and books. We are ready to head downstairs into what we are referring to as our bomb shelter here shortly. Preparing ourselves for the worst, and opting to stay put rather than fly south of here, we have a space down below that is similar to a basement. The walls are built with cinder blocks and we barricaded the one sliding glass door with a metal bed frame, a mattress and heavy boxes. I think that will prevent any glass from getting to us if something were to break the window. The door to our space is also on the opposite side from where the wind is coming, which is helpful. We have 2 reclining chairs and a table situated between two beams that are supporting the house. We will be staying there for the next 6-10 hours, probably going a bit stir crazy. I can't imagine what these families in the shelters must be doing with their children in crowded small spaces and surrounded by so many others. Thankful we have a place to call home at the moment.
Australian's are so generous when people are in need. The main grocery stores have opened their doors to be used as a shelter and are allowing the people staying there to use the food off the shelves. So amazing. Going through this is a great reminder of the importance to help our neighbors.
I have felt pretty anxious since yesterday as the forecast was predicting a category 4. Needless to say, seeing it upgraded to a category 5 caused my stomach to turn into knots. People have called to suggest that we evacuate, rent a car or take the bus and head southwest, but to be honest, I feel much safer where we are. Our house is 80 feet above sea level and with the massive amounts of rain that Queensland has already seen over the past 2 months, there will be substantial flooding to follow this cyclone. Between flash flooding and the chance of not being able to get home because so many roads will be closed, we would both rather be here. Hopefully the house holds together and we will only have clean-up tomorrow to put things back to normal. Now to get ready to head downstairs to our safe haven.
We survived our first ever cyclone a few days ago, the category 2 cyclone Anthony. I am quite glad we were able to go through that one first, because otherwise I am pretty sure I would be utterly stressed right about now. Cyclone Yasi has turned into a category 5 and will be crossing land around 10pm this evening. The eye of the storm is predicted to hit roughly 180 miles north of here. Those poor people of Inisfail.
The winds come in spurts, truly howling and whistling through the palms, often frightening with the unexpected gust. As I write, Ryan is outside taking pictures, occasionally standing in the path of the winds just to get a true feel for what we are experiencing. I think he enjoys the small thrills, although this is not small in my opinion. My insides cringe as I see him take a step around the corner of the deck that puts him directly in the wind path.
We knew we were going to lose power at some point today but assumed it would happen relatively close to heart of the storm. Nope. 11am and the power went out. Being prepared, we charged our computer (obviously since I am writing on it now) and have our "emergency bags" filled with lights, candles, batteries, food, water, games, and books. We are ready to head downstairs into what we are referring to as our bomb shelter here shortly. Preparing ourselves for the worst, and opting to stay put rather than fly south of here, we have a space down below that is similar to a basement. The walls are built with cinder blocks and we barricaded the one sliding glass door with a metal bed frame, a mattress and heavy boxes. I think that will prevent any glass from getting to us if something were to break the window. The door to our space is also on the opposite side from where the wind is coming, which is helpful. We have 2 reclining chairs and a table situated between two beams that are supporting the house. We will be staying there for the next 6-10 hours, probably going a bit stir crazy. I can't imagine what these families in the shelters must be doing with their children in crowded small spaces and surrounded by so many others. Thankful we have a place to call home at the moment.
Australian's are so generous when people are in need. The main grocery stores have opened their doors to be used as a shelter and are allowing the people staying there to use the food off the shelves. So amazing. Going through this is a great reminder of the importance to help our neighbors.
I have felt pretty anxious since yesterday as the forecast was predicting a category 4. Needless to say, seeing it upgraded to a category 5 caused my stomach to turn into knots. People have called to suggest that we evacuate, rent a car or take the bus and head southwest, but to be honest, I feel much safer where we are. Our house is 80 feet above sea level and with the massive amounts of rain that Queensland has already seen over the past 2 months, there will be substantial flooding to follow this cyclone. Between flash flooding and the chance of not being able to get home because so many roads will be closed, we would both rather be here. Hopefully the house holds together and we will only have clean-up tomorrow to put things back to normal. Now to get ready to head downstairs to our safe haven.
Really interesting reading this Lisa, write again soon so that we know what is happening. Tell Ryan whats up. Come to Santa Barbara!!!
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