Severe Tropical Cyclone Hamish, QLD

Dazza XLT · 07-03-2009, 09:46 PM

Anyone around Rockhampton/Yeppoon/Gladstone & even as far south as Bundaberg should keep an eye on this!!!!

http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDQ65002.shtml
http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDQP0005.txt

We've got all the big windows boarded up. The former owners had them all custom made to fit the large windows.

It'll be a Cat 5 as it goes past, so it's better to be safe than sorry.

Keep safe all, and be prepared.

big_waity · 07-03-2009, 09:48 PM

Looks like you're prepared!
I'm down in Maryborough and am supposed to drive a truck to Rocky tomorrow to swap with a bloke driving 1 from Mackay but he isn't keen to drive if there's a cyclone at his place so I'm keeping a very close eye on this.

Dazza XLT · 07-03-2009, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by big_waity

Looks like you're prepared!
I'm down in Maryborough and am supposed to drive a truck to Rocky tomorrow to swap with a bloke driving 1 from Mackay but he isn't keen to drive if there's a cyclone at his place so I'm keeping a very close eye on this.

Some areas of Mackay are being told to evacuate, due to possible storm tide surges inundating low lying areas.
Most of the Whitsunday Islands have already been evacuated.

**fordomatic** · 07-03-2009, 10:07 PM

well im in townsville and the alert on channel 7 just said its off the coast of here travelling at 17km an hour. so i reckon it will hit airly tomorrow. no one is preparing here.

Donut King · 07-03-2009, 11:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dazza XL

Some areas of Mackay are being told to evacuate, due to possible storm tide surges inundating low lying areas.
Most of the Whitsunday Islands have already been evacuated.

Long Island, South Molle and Daydream all evacuated. Not sure about Hayman but here on Hamilton we've relocated all guests into pretty much the one hotel, evacuated selected areas of staff accomodation and basically shut the place down.

It's gunna be an interesting night and one hell of a ride

Dazza XLT · 07-03-2009, 11:47 PM

Good Luck DK. I've never been to Hamo, must be built strong!
The next track map is due out at 11pm, my guess is it'll be a Cat 5 by this stage.

EDIT- Confirmed.

Details of Severe Tropical Cyclone Hamish at 10:00 pm EST:
.Centre located near...... 18.5 degrees South 149.3 degrees East
.Location accuracy........ within 19 kilometres
.Recent movement.......... towards the southeast at 17 kilometres per hour
.Wind gusts near centre... 295 kilometres per hour
.Severity category........ 5
.Central pressure......... 930 hectoPascals

http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/wrap_fwo.pl?IDQP0005.txt

Donut King · 07-03-2009, 11:52 PM

Quote:

VERY DESTRUCTIVE WINDS, ELEVATED SEA LEVELS and LARGE WAVES are likely to impact on the Whitsunday Islands during Sunday morning

eep!

Not sure if its built strong or too big to evacuate in a timely manner. Qualia, Beach Club and Bungalows guests have been moved to the Reef View Hotel. I am thinking that the wind direction will be blowing straight in over the balconies of the rooms, but it doesn't have a chance to pick up too much debris between the beach and the hotel.

I'm in staff accomodation on the opposite side of the island, it should be more sheltered, don't imagine it'll be too pretty a sight come tomorrow afternoon though

edit: tides at the moment were already high enough to start flooding low lying areas of the island, will be interesting to see how much higher they become with the storm surge!

Dazza XLT · 07-03-2009, 11:57 PM

Time to inflate the floaties DK!
We should be ok here, close to the coast but on a rise/high spot. Fairly old brick home, only downside is the tile roof.
In a good spot according to the Storm Surge Maps. Won't be much sleep had tonight.

Many people on the lsland at the moment?

Donut King · 08-03-2009, 12:00 AM

I'd estimate it to be around 50-60% capacity, and we still had a surprising number of people arrive on flights in today - including some who hadn't even made bookings, makes you wonder what goes through some peoples heads...

Dazza XLT · 08-03-2009, 12:01 AM

Keen, thats for sure!
Half the residents round here haven't done a thing. One hardware store still has all it's terracotta pots outside.

:
We had everything that could possibly blow away in the shed by 4pm on Friday arvo.

Keep it safe over there.

351EL · 08-03-2009, 02:01 AM

you should be ok if it hits at low tide.But I can't believe people are still arriving the last thing I want to do is go through another cat 5.

plext · 08-03-2009, 02:23 AM

Keep your head down DK.

Walt Kowalski · 08-03-2009, 05:29 AM

Man I feel for any of you guys in its path.

I went thru a Cat 3 a few years ago in a dodgy highset home.

The eye passed right over my house.

Dead set scary as.

PS I like the look of those window shutters. Hope your radio has good batteries.

**Burnout** · 08-03-2009, 10:43 AM

Looks to be about 240km N NE of Mackay, tracking SE, looks like the Whitsundays missed the worst of it. Good board weather on Whitehaven Beach.

rodderz · 08-03-2009, 11:03 AM

We've been on the blower to the inlaws and relo's in Rocky and Yeppoon, to make sure they all have batteries, tin food etc in case of flooding and they cant get out.

It's a good idea to fill the bath up with water too in case the water supply gets contaminated and you cant drink the mains water

Hopefully it doesnt head towards land otherwise it'll be huge, Cat 5 is Cyclone Tracy material. Hopefully the rain makes its way down to Vic though!

The Monty · 08-03-2009, 11:10 AM

Its predicted to cross between Bundaberg and Tewantin. Thats close to Brisbane, and even closer to Sunny coast. At 17km/h it will be off Brisbane in 48 hours. Hope we are all ready for a bit of rain.

Jason[98.EL] · 08-03-2009, 11:20 AM

Keep your heads up or should i say down

what is this world of ours coming to first we have massive fires here in vic flooding in Qld eath tremmors in vic and now a cat 5 cyclone hitting the qlders again

be safe guys and will see you all back here soon

Jason

**Burnout** · 08-03-2009, 11:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodderz

We've been on the blower to the inlaws and relo's in Rocky and Yeppoon, to make sure they all have batteries, tin food etc in case of flooding and they cant get out.

It's a good idea to fill the bath up with water too in case the water supply gets contaminated and you cant drink the mains water

Hopefully it doesnt head towards land otherwise it'll be huge, Cat 5 is Cyclone Tracy material. Hopefully the rain makes its way down to Vic though!

Been through a Cat 5 - NT in the 80's, gusts to 325km, the eye went right over us. A most interesting few days. Only one person killed, a cook on a fishing trawler in the gulf.

XD 351 Ute · 08-03-2009, 02:59 PM

Yep, keeping an eye on this too.
Hopefully we won't have to do too much with the fire service, but you never know...
I'm going out to measure up my large windows and will be making some shutter boards up like yours Dazza, thanks for the pix.

Ed

MrEL · 08-03-2009, 10:28 PM

How is it all travelling up there?

Dazza XLT · 08-03-2009, 10:31 PM

Few shots of high tide this morning.

We came out of it ok this morning, few trees down but no major damage.
Looks like Mackay copped most of it.

rodderz · 09-03-2009, 12:38 AM

Depending on the direction it takes this could be very dangerous for Gladstone, Yeppoon, or Harvey Bay. They said even Brisbane was at risk. This morning it was heading sth east but it looks to be going back south west now. An interesting few days ahead. A lot of places are getting ready and evacuated now

ieatsports_cars · 09-03-2009, 12:49 AM

yeah they have all ready evacuated people in hervey bay, fraser island, burrum heads today, we are in maryborough near hervery bay it seems every minute goes by atm the wind gets stronger and stronger, i hope fraser protects us from the worse

dave351cid · 09-03-2009, 01:37 AM

nothing real wild happening here yet , just a bit windy at times. expect tomorrow might be different.

we are inland a bit so might be saved from the worst if it comes this way. i have packed things away as much as i could today. hope it dosnt blow my shed kit away.

be good if we get a heap of rain in the dams out of it. do without the wind damage though.

Martyvan · 09-03-2009, 07:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rodderz

Depending on the direction it takes this could be very dangerous for Gladstone, Yeppoon, or Harvey Bay. They said even Brisbane was at risk. This morning it was heading sth east but it looks to be going back south west now. An interesting few days ahead. A lot of places are getting ready and evacuated now

Dont care too much for the wind, but would be VERY nice to get a few drops of rain over wivenhoe.... if the rain gets to Brisbane, it will fill the dam....

Lets hope everyone got off fraser, as it looks to be right in the firing line at this stage. Hervey bay looks like it will have a surf comp there later tomorrow!

Dazza, those window boardings are awesome. looks like the previous owner with a big OCD with ensuring adequate and easy protection... if required

King Nothing · 09-03-2009, 12:30 PM

So I guess this has passed the whitsundays now? Any news on how Long island faired? I'm up there in a fortnight on my honeymoon! Hope everything is ok up there for all you guys.

flappist · 09-03-2009, 12:56 PM

This may end up with a very interesting event. All of the areas that are on the storm surge map have been evacuated. There is one area, Eli Waters (locally known as eli swamp) that has not been evacuated as it is not on the map.

I have lived here for over 40 years and have seen the swamp become a lake in 1974, 1976 and again in 1980. It was originally on the storm surge map but it appears there were some people who got a bit upset about that and threatened legal action so it was removed.

If it does go under the can of worms will be a 44 gallon drum.

rodderz · 09-03-2009, 03:01 PM

Keeping an eye on this morning the qld premier and her cronies were downplaying it saying that the threat had passed. The eye may be going SE but the majority of the storm is still heading straight for Fraser and Hervey Bay, that still means lots of wind and rain and potential flooding. Egg on their faces if it does!

XYGTHO · 09-03-2009, 03:09 PM

Wish it would hurry up and go past. lol. It slowed down a heap. Fingers crossed it stays out in the ocean and doesn't come inland anywhere. I just finished putting new guttering on the house i really don't want it ripped off.

vanman_75 · 09-03-2009, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by flappist

This may end up with a very interesting event. All of the areas that are on the storm surge map have been evacuated. There is one area, Eli Waters (locally known as eli swamp) that has not been evacuated as it is not on the map.

I have lived here for over 40 years and have seen the swamp become a lake in 1974, 1976 and again in 1980. It was originally on the storm surge map but it appears there were some people who got a bit upset about that and threatened legal action so it was removed.

If it does go under the can of worms will be a 44 gallon drum.

my brother inlaw works on the council there and got abused by those owners when it flooded last year , why they built there is beyond me ,and why councils have a cash grab on useless land is another . at least it might get rid of some of the sand out the front ,fishing has gone downhill every year since they put the new rock wall at the mariner.