I may be AWOL for a few days

[Shorty]

Cyclone Ita is heading our way:



SEVERE TROPICAL CYCLONE ITA, CATEGORY 5, poses a serious threat to communities
along the far north Queensland coast. It is expected to move southwest to
southsouthwest and make landfall between Cape Melville and Cooktown late this
afternoon or tonight as a CATEGORY 5 Tropical Cyclone with VERY DESTRUCTIVE
WINDS to 300 kilometres per hour near the core and GALES extending out to 200
kilometres from the centre.

Got the house all battened down with the trailer (WDR ) hooked on and ready to roll, AFTER it's all over, electricity and safety permitting.

Many times though we won't even have telephones operating, so it's a wait & see game.

C'ya.

Short 1

[jtmellon]

Please stay safe. Hope you all come through with no damage.

[Blue Ridge Floor Care]

Be careful Shorty! And let us all know that everything is ok as soon as you have a chance.

[drytouch]

Is Category 5 the same Down Under as here? Scary.

[P Cleaner]

stay safe Shorty, P Cleaner

[encapman]

That sounds terrible!!!

http://www.weather.com/news/weather-hurr...a-20140410

Please be careful Shorty. We wish you and all our friends Down Under a safe ride through this storm.

[Shorty]

Thanks for all the well wishes, it is appreciated.

Ita crossed the coast about 22:00 last night as a Cat 4.

Since been downgraded to a Cat 1 and due to pass Cairns about 30 klm, about 18 miles to the west of us later this evening sometime.

Been getting dumped on today, have emptied in excess of 18" from the pool since mid-day yesterday.

We expect to get a lot more tonight and tomorrow.

Road has been flooded higher than in the last 25 years according to my neighbour over the road.

Richard Craniums in their cars still won't learn to slow down.

I have great pleasure sitting out front sucking on a beer and watching them as they try in vain to restart their flooded engines.

Our flooded pool with Charlie, Delia's pet.



Richard Craniums.....







Shortdry 1

[encapman]

Glad to hear you made it through OK. I love it when the hurricanes pass us by. It seems the Tampa Bay area always gets a "near miss" rather than a direct strike. And I hope it continues like that!

Was there a guy water skiing behind that car?

[Shorty]

In living memory or since records were being taken, Cairns has never had a direct hit by a cyclone either.

This goes back to at least 1899:

CYCLONE MAHINA (March 1899)

More than 400 people died when this cyclone hit Bathurst Bay and it is still considered to be the worst natural disaster in Australia’s history.

The storm destroyed more than 50 ships that were part of the pearling fleet, killing 100 people. Another 100 killed were local Aborigines, some of them were swept into the sea trying to help shipwrecked men.


Don't know where the other 200 came from ???

Here's some other interesting reading from my part of the world:

http://www.news.com.au/national/the-cate...6880854853


We are truly lucky & thankful to be living in this beautiful part of the world where the reef meets the rainforest.

Rick, no guy on skis, but I think there were skid marks on the seats.

Short 1

[Blue Ridge Floor Care]

Thanks for all the well wishes, it is appreciated.

Ita crossed the coast about 22:00 last night as a Cat 4.

Since been downgraded to a Cat 1 and due to pass Cairns about 30 klm, about 18 miles to the west of us later this evening sometime.

Been getting dumped on today, have emptied in excess of 18" from the pool since mid-day yesterday.

We expect to get a lot more tonight and tomorrow.

Road has been flooded higher than in the last 25 years according to my neighbour over the road.

Richard Craniums in their cars still won't learn to slow down.

I have great pleasure sitting out front sucking on a beer and watching them as they try in vain to restart their flooded engines.

Our flooded pool with Charlie, Delia's pet.



Richard Craniums.....







Shortdry 1

Glad you're ok Shorty! And we seem to be surrounded by those who suffer from Anal Cranium Inversion disease here as well.

[Cyclone]

Glad to see that you missed the brunt of Cyclone Ita. My wife has cousins living in the Townsville area and it looks like they stayed fairly dry.