New Storm Warnings for Queensland
 

More details here:
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/we...201-1abmx.html

Take care, everyone. Hope you are all safe or have been able to evacuate to a safe place.
Our 10:30pm news bulletin has just stated Cairns is in the line of fire. I hope it is not too damaging for the area. Will be thinking of you all over the next few days.

Kia Kaha. (Be strong)

Dot

Thanks Dot, Maria and I have just about completed preparations at our place and have done a circuit of the neighbourhood. Most people are well prepared ( some oldies evacuating to safer places or to be with relatives) but I wish I could get two couples to take it more seriously. The things they leave out are potential missiles to hit not only their homes but those of our friends and us!

The size of the thing worries me. Because it is so large the storm will take a long to to pass and that increases the risk of serious damage. The wind will just flog things for hours.

Saw lots of flying foxes heading south west this evening and almost none stopped to feed near here. There were a couple of streams from the one colony heading in parallel None used our large eucalypt as a staging post as they usually do. Wonder if the colony is deserted in the morning? Might just have to go take a look if the winds have not become too bad over night.

All the best, Alan, Pat & any other Fodorites in Yasi's path.

We'll be on sarwatch for you, so please let us know you're ok when you can. In the meantime, we'll understand you might just have one or two other things on the go ... and that your phones & power may be out for a while.


Interesting about the flying foxes, Alan. I remember immediately before I felt the tremor of Newcastle's 1989 earthquake, every bird, cicada & other insect suddenly silenced. My cat hackled up and growled.

I just had time to register the eerie silence and the strange air, when the tremor rolled through. And I was in Sydney (100 kms south).

That's what worries me too, Alan, this cyclone is huge and will cover so much area.

Already Cairns hospitals have been evacuated, my neighbour has just taken in two dogs from the local RSPCA, which is on low lying ground.

Almost impossible to get onto Qantas, my Kiwi brother in law had to drive out to Cairns airport after waiting for nearly two hours on Qantas phone line - Qantas priority being to get Australians out of Egypt.

But a big "boo" to Telstra, last minute cyclone shopping today included a new charger for mobile, no other shop in Cairns Central shopping mall was closed, but Telstra was, on a normal business weekday. We're bound to lose power for God knows how long, so a mobile does make life a bit easier.

(((Australia)))

My goodness. Stay safe!

Cyclone Yasi now upgraded to a catagory 5

Stay safe all those in North Queensland

Popping in as I have been so worried about all of you that are in the path of the cyclone. Mother Nature has not been good to your Australia. My best from Northern California, you are certainly in my thoughts.

Thanks for that LoveItaly. We are beginning to wonder what we have done to deserve this much attention from the Gods of wrath.
May I add my thoughts to you all in North Queensland and hope that you are all safe and well this time tomorrow.
Love to all up there.

Battened down and logging off.
Alan

Be safe. It's certainly been a time of wild weather. Thinking of all of you there and will be watching the weather news.

Good luck

I've been following this on the Perth news and it's sounding worse and worse. Good luck to those of you in Yasi's path.

Stay safe up there - my thoughts are with you all! And please post back when you can - we'll be waiting anxiously!

Best wishes Pat, Alan and others. You will be in our thoughts. I hope you come through ok and it seems you have made appropriate arrangements. Stay strong!

I have been thinking of you Pat and Alan and any others. Please stay safe and follow any instructions. If you are told to get out then do so. Otherwise batten down and hide in the bathroom.

Thanks all - all evacuation centres in Cairns and Cassowary Coast areas are now full, so we're all sitting tight now at home, as battened down as we can.

Just heard there's mandatory evacuations in Hinchinbrook coastal areas and latest advice is that Cyclone Yasi will make landfall between the towns of Innisfail and Cardwell as a Category 5. Innisfail (some 90km south of Cairns) suffered terrible damage by Cyclone Larry in 2006, they don't need this again.

Get back to that bathroom Pat and stay safe! Write when all is OK and put us out of our misery.

Oooh...it's looking scary! Our thoughts are with those of you in FNQ. Stay safe!!