DEBBIE DOES BOWEN...AIRLIE BEACH...AND PROSERPINE....

In the comment section of my previous post, Jenny from the blog "English Travel Writer"  (on my blog list to the right) kindly showed concern for my safety after she saw/read reports about Cyclone Debbie that hit the Queensland coast yesterday, Tuesday.  Below is a copy of my response to Jenny's kind enquiry.....

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-03-29/cyclone-debbie-bom-downgrade-fears-mount-for-queensland-towns/8393914

http://www.news.com.au/technology/environment/destruction-caused-by-cyclone-debbie-revealed-on-wednesday-morning/news-story/b25eab2c1d771250cf05c9eac55ba3d1

With an area of 1,727,000 square kilometres, Queensland is the second largest state in Australia. The biggest is Western Australia. Queensland is nearly five times the size of Japan, seven times the size of Great Britain, and two and a half times the size of Texas.

Cyclone Debbie crossed the coast around noon yesterday (Tuesday) - making landfall, near Airlie Beach, just south of the township of Bowen (all familiar areas to me....I spent 13 years in the North Queensland and have written article about those various areas in which I lived and worked in over the years).

Where I live now, Tamborine Mountain, is in South-East Queensland - in the Gold Coast Hinterland - Mount Tamborine is over 1000kms south from those townships mentioned above. We had perfect weather here yesterday, as is normal when cyclones are further up north sucking everything into the "eye". 

Now it's turned into a rain depression, heading southwards. We, down this way are expected to receive the aftermath...heavy rains starting probably in the early hours of tomorrow (Thursday) morning or late tonight...lasting for a couple of days.

Flood warnings are presently in force...flooding is expected to extend over an area of 13000 kilometres.

Significant damage was caused up in those areas within Cyclone Debbie's destructive path. The damage is only now beginning to unfold as daylight arrives.  Flooding, of course, is a worry. More will be learned of the extent of the damage as the day progresses.

Much of the area affected is also a "food bowl" so crops such as tomatoes, capsicums (peppers), rockmelons and honeydews etc., and much more were affected. As was the sugar cane which the area is noted for.

Yesterday, from the early hours of the morning, I watched television all day...following everything as it unfolded. I believed the resilient folk who live up in those areas deserved my respect and concern. I felt obliged, in the best possible way, to keep abreast of everything that was occurring minute by minute. 

While phones up that way were still operating I spoke with a couple of friends to let them know they were in my thoughts. When things settle down a bit I will phone them again a little later in the hope I can get through and are able to speak with them. At present, I am unable to get through, so obviously their phone lines are out of action.

My memories of my time on Newry Island when Cyclone Joy decided to pay me a visit during Christmas 1990 were foremost in my mind all through yesterday.  I wrote a lengthy post/story about that particular event back in December, 2015. Every minute detail came flooding back to me yesterday. Cyclones certainly are memorable!

However, the North Queensland locals are a good-humoured, spirited mob...they are resilient and they take everything in their stride.  They don't whinge and complain...they just get on with it.  They retain their sense of humour throughout, and then in the aftermath, they knuckle down and bound together...heads down, bums up and they get the job done.  They are to be admired.


Addendum - Friday Morning....31st March:-

 http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/debbies-aftermath-brings-wild-weather-and-chaos-to-queenslands-southeast-20170330-gva2q5.html

 We received a hell of a lot of rain throughout yesterday into the night.  It commenced raining here late Wednesday night, and then continued bucketing down.  It was heavy and nonstop.  

Areas here in South-East Queensland received anywhere between approx., 100mm (4inches) to approx., 300mm (12 inches) or more rain in 24 hours or so.  There was no stopping the water from falling out of the sky!  The winds were strong.  

Here on Tamborine Mountain the rain ceased around 11 pm last night, Thursday night.   
At 4 am this morning gale force winds arrived hoping to make their swansong or unwanted, uninvited encore.  The wind was blowing with forces, but, fortunately, within 15 minutes decided it was not receiving any  applause for its song and dance, so it came to the sensible conclusion that the best thing to do was to fade away.

Queensland has had quite a week!!