Disaster In My Region: AW Check In Thread (Tornadoes, Floods)

Helix

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It's quiet here, apart from a loud and not very good band at the pub. It's at times like this that a power cut would be quite handy.

TC Ita's eye crossed the coast at Cape Flattery a short while ago.* Cooktown and Hopevale are getting battered. It sounds bad, but no one is going to know just how bad until daybreak tomorrow.

The number of people sheltering at the hall in Hopevale is now about 800, which is 80% of the community. The Mayor reported that the hall was damaged but still intact.

Down here, there's a bit of rain and the odd breeze, but the leading edge hasn't reached us yet. BoM is showing it travelling overland but persisting as a category 2 for some distance. So it'll be wet and windy here in the morning, but nowhere near as bad as it is in points north.


* It was 'a short while ago' when I started typing. It's probably 'hours ago' now.
 
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Helix

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Right. Strong gusts have just started and we'll get gales soon. It's raining moderately (by tropical standards), but one stone curlew is still standing in the middle of the lawn. If it's still there when the wind hits, it'll probably end up plastered across the wall.

There's news from Cooktown -- not as bad as they feared, although lots of unroofings, incl. the West Coast Hotel -- but Hopevale is being pretty much ignored. Well, the Premier said he hoped the banana farm was okay, so that's all right then.
 

Helix

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Oh, I'd love to see a roadrunner!

The cyclone has been downgraded to a category 1 and is moving slowly south. Winds are no longer classified as 'destructive' -- they are merely gale-force. I am not at all disappointed by this news. There's still a lot of rain and that will probably continue for a couple of days = situation normal for the Wet Season.

I expect at some stage some chump will say that everyone over-reacted, but I don't think they'll be saying that to the folk at Hopevale. Still no news from them. Their comms are down because the cyclone pushed the antennae out of alignment, so the Cooktown cops are trying to get in to check on them. We are looking forward to good news from them soon.

My motto: Plan for the worst, hope for the best and make sure you've got decent food, because cold baked beans five days in a row is the pits.
 

Helix

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This'll be the last update (from me) unless something serious happens.

TC Ita has maintained its category 1 status, despite travelling for a considerable distance over land. It must be some storm. It has now changed direction and is heading back to sea, where it is expected to graze the coast and the islands as far south as Yeppoon and probably further still.

There is very good news from Hopevale. The road was cut, so Queensland Health went in by helicopter and found everyone safe.

Lots of flooding, fallen trees and power cuts, especially in and around Cooktown, Cairns and Port Douglas, but those are inconveniences, really, compared to what might have happened. The Lion's Den Hotel at Helenvale was also flooded, but they won't let a little thing like that slow them down.
 
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mirandashell

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That's great news! Good to hear everyone is ok. Heck of a mess to clean up but that's doable!

Thanks for keeping us updated, mate.
 

Trevor Bruhn

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Hi, AW, from about 40 miles NW of the mudslide in WA. They still post two totals every day: confirmed dead, by the medical examiner after ID by a relative, and missing and presumed dead. 36 in the first list, 10 in the second. The mud is still 10 feet thick over the crushed houses and they excavate slowly now.
Aussies, good luck. Chileans, too. Every day somewhere.
 

Helix

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So awful, Trevor. It's an appalling situation for everyone -- those who have lost family and friends, those who are involved in the recovery.
 

mirandashell

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Hi, AW, from about 40 miles NW of the mudslide in WA. They still post two totals every day: confirmed dead, by the medical examiner after ID by a relative, and missing and presumed dead. 36 in the first list, 10 in the second. The mud is still 10 feet thick over the crushed houses and they excavate slowly now.
Aussies, good luck. Chileans, too. Every day somewhere.

My best wishes to everyone involved, Trevor. Hopefully they find everyone soon.
 

tooloo

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I'm glad there's a thread like this.

I'm from Joplin, which was devastated by a tornado a few years ago. I ended up being offline for a few weeks. I was role playing on a different website, and some of my role play partners ended up donating to the city. It's nice to see a community where everyone thinks about others.
 

Ambrosia

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tooloo, glad you survived the Joplin tornado. Welcome to AW. It's a great community.


I hope everyone is ok tonight in the central US. I just checked the weather news as I have family and friends in Missouri. A couple towns have been leveled in Arkansas from tornadoes, with 6 15 confirmed deaths. 2 people 1 person killed in Oklahoma. Damage in Kansas too. I know North Carolina got hit yesterday.

Check in and let us know you are ok, please.


ETA: after days of storms the death toll is quite a bit higher and now the rain is causing flooding, sink holes and lots of damage, too. Stay safe, folks.
 
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shakeysix

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The storms passed us in Stafford County, thank God. The wind blew a couple of semis off the highway and we had to turn headlights on to navigate Fifty but no tornadoes. --s6