Cyclone.

Cyclone.

Posted on 8 Aug, 2008 5 comments

The weather has everything to do with gardening. We depend on the weather whether we can work in it or if the plants can thrive, or die. And a cyclone makes no exeption. Cyclones are quite common on either side of the equator, they only have a different name in the Northern Hemisphere. They are formed in the tropical regions and with our beautiful sattelite systems we can exactly pinpoint when they are formed and where they are and how strong they are. What we cannot do is predict which path they will take, as they are unpredictable. Many cyclones hover around the tropical top of Australia each summer. Some get weaker and disappear, some get stronger and hit the coastline, creating havoc. Often these forces of nature travel overland, but as they do they decrease in intensity. As most cyclones move slowly we get plenty of warning time and watch the news. You have to start clearing your yard in November when the season starts. Most people wait till the last minute. This particular cyclone I am talking about was coming from the East and was the highest category. Still people are quite blasee about it and only the last day they make a dash to the tip to bring all their loose lying building materials, discarded garden stuff and whathaveyous. We had special chains which were attached to the wall and we could fasten them around the outside fridge, dryer, washing machine etc. Garden furniture, barbeque and those kind of things all were wheeled into the shed. Nothing was supposed to be lying around. So we all have a busy day doing that. Last minute dash made to the shops by many: buying batteries, torches, plastic containers, plastic sheets, candles, canned food, medicines etc. etc. You have to have an emergency evacuation pack ready. Many schools, underground carparks and other sturdy constructions are open for cyclone shelter. The cyclone was heading our way. Over the radio and on tv you were told where you could go for shelter, even with your pets. Or stay in your home. We chose for the last option. I filled the bath with water. Our system was an electric pump, which would not work, should the power break down. At least we would have water, a very important need for survival. We taped up all the glass doors. In front of the louvre windows was already permanent security screening, for security and safety. The latest report that day was the cyclone was now overland, was still a high category and was slowing down, but when it had hit the coast East of us it had uprooted many large trees, taken roofs of houses and even of the school were people were sheltering. It looked promising, to be cynical. We all had to be at our shelter. That night we just went to bed. They expected it to hit Darwin early in the morning. It was very windy outside, but not even like the last severe storm. I knew I’d wake up anyway if it would become worse. But nothing happened. 7 AM I switched on the transistor radio next to my bed and listened to the news. It had taken another course, straight over the Kakadu, causing a lot of damage. It was rather dark and slightly windy when it started to rain and rain and rain and rain. All day we stayed indoors, around us was a lot of water. We had been lucky, Darwin had been lucky. People emerged from their cyclone shelters with bags, swags, eski’s etc. We just got a lot of rain outof it and no damage in the garden at all. Kakadu is 200 kms from where we used to live. They had a lot of damage there and flooding everywhere, and were cut off from the world for 1 months after. The cyclone continued over the Bay only to gain strength. We still were on alert, because, as I said, you never know where they go, they can even turn around and go back! This one went on, overland in WA, causing havoc there in caravan parks, plantations etc. Then it went out to the Indian Ocean. It was born in the Coral Sea in Queensland. It had travelled 5000 kms. It had all been very exciting and a very good exercise. In the 3 years I lived in Darwin we had about 6 cyclones, but not all came overland. You learn to live with these things, if your garden gets wrecked you just have to start again, salvage what you can. It’s all part and parcel of living in the tropics. You actually don’t have to be scared when you are inside your house. They are built to cyclone standards and always look for the most shelter in the house: the passage, the bathroom etc. Stay away from windows and doors. You get lectured over tv what to do and when to do it. I wouldn’t want to trade it for the cold!

More blog posts by Marguerite