She’s turned towards us. We’re in the full strike zone now.
I think it’s safe to say we probably won’t have a shed any more this time tomorrow… We’re making evacuation contingency plans. Everything’s getting charged: phones, power packs, laptops, battery lamps, Kindle, etc, because the power will be going down. There’s nothing we can do for the fully stocked freezer, but we have a car fridge we can run off a separate battery if the outage goes on too long. We have over 100L (26 gallons) of potable water stored.
The core is already gusting to 260kmph (155mph), with sustained wind speeds of 155kmph (95mph). If it follows the predicted track, landfall will occur around Shoalwater Bay, an army training zone 150+km south of Mackay. If it follows the northerly tendency it’s been showing the last few hours, it’ll hit Mackay. I’m not being so calm about things any more, but we’re as ready as we can be. She’s ramped up from Category 1 at landfall to Category 4. We are going to see damage to the house.
Cross your fingers for us. I’ll be online for the next couple of hours and then we’ll shut down to conserve battery power. It’s highly likely the cellular transmitter which powers our internet will sustain damage, so I may not be back online for a while. Your positive thoughts, prayers or good wishes will be appreciated.
Chiconia, out.
talltalesfromchiconia 
Good luck babes x thinking of you x please let me know you’re fine as soon as you have power and please let me know if you need anything xxxxx love and hugs xxxxx
Sent from my iPhone
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Lots of calming thoughts aimed at the Coral Sea…. We’ll be OK. It’s going to be interesting…! xxx
I’ve been watching the weather reports all day, thinking of you and all the others in the line of fire… err… gale & deluge… Better to be prepared for the worst, but I’m sending positive thoughts out to the Universe that that won’t be the case. Be safe.
If enough people thing positive thoughts, they can change the world. Keep it up. See you on the other side!
Will be watching news via Internet today xxx
Keep this up and refresh every so often:
http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDQ65002.shtml
K xxx
Eeek! That looks really scary. It sounds like you are well prepared. Is the Lord of C going to be home with you?
Yup. We’ll pack the car with clothes, pills and some food and water in case anything happens to the house… Earplugs tonight, the wind is going to sound like the screams of the damned…
batten down the hatches, and we’ll be crossing fingers
Thank you!
Sending calming thoughts. We know the scream of 140km winds. Take great care.
Thank you. We will…
Fingers crossed for minimum damage and maximum safety.
Let us know when it’s over! x
They’re now suggesting it might go as high as a Cat. 5, so we’re preparing evacuation kit. It’ll hit at 7am tomorrow, with winds around 260 -300kmph. We may lose power for a couple of days, so don’t worry if you don’t hear straight away.
I’ve just checked and it looks like it’s heading further south so you are now out of the area of likely tracks – phew! Hopefully you will be able to stay put.
Um, not really. The forecast track has been heading ever northwards all day. The original landfall site was Gladstone, now it’s St Lawrence. It has also slowed down, which means it will not move far from where it is now. We will certainly cop some extremely heavy duty weather, but we will bunker down in the garage rather than run the risk of venturing out. Also, it’s getting tighter and more focussed, and the intensity has gone up to Category 5, which is extremely damaging indeed. Much too soon for any sighs of relief. About 7am tomorrow our time, say 10pm your time should be when she strikes.
Take care Kate. Sounds as if you’re well prepared and I’m glad husband of C is home with you. Praying you’ll be safe and sound and any damage will be minimal. x
Thank you so much! The speed at which it changed speed and direction is breathtaking; you just cannot make assumptions about natural phenomena!
Gosh Kate, that is scary. Hope you have a safe haven in the house or close by. I know you haven’t been in the house long but they are just ‘things’. As long as you and hubby are safe, that is all that matters. Sneding positive energy your way! xo
Actually, under the bedrooms, in the garage, it’s solid concrete with hardwood floors above and the bedrooms above that. We hole up in the car, we have plenty of fuel, can run the fridge, and we emerge when the howling demons of hell have passed by. That’s if she doesn’t change her mind AGAIN in the next few hours…
Oh Kate, you know I’m with you all the way in spirit…..and everything else. From what I’ve been reading on Higgins once she crosses land and roars west wherever she’s passed will settle down to a low without the intensity, so by the time it hits me, hopefully you will have emerged unscathed….apart from the shed…adding my positive thoughts to everyone else’s, because I’m nervously anticipating now 😦
With luck, passing us will take all the ginger out of her, and it’ll just be strong winds and rain by the time it reaches you! She’s slowed right down, so I’m going to hang on as long as I can to watch the updates.
Oooh, that sounds a little worse than the gales we had last year. You seem pretty prepared and I’m keeping my fingers crossed you won’t be hit too hard. Good luck!
Just a little worse… She’s got core wind speeds of 300kmph now…
Prayers, hopes and virtual hugs are with you for sure. It looks pretty fearsom on Earthschool and Tropical Storm Risk websites. I’ll be thinking of you.
All most welcome!
I’ve written a poem for you: https://vivinfrance.wordpress.com/2015/02/19/storm/
Oh Viv, how wonderful! Such a good understanding of what it’s going to be like, too! Later on, when hopefully we’re back to normal, I’d like to include a link to that in a ‘post of thankful survival’, if I may?
Of course you can.
Vx
Posted, with a link to your blog. Thank you!
Hi, We’re thinking of you in SW England. D O hope you weather the storm ok and looking forward to when you are ‘back’ to normal.
we wish you well.
Sandi Kirk xx
Sent from my iPad
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Thank you, that’s so kind. I must admit that although I’m a relative cyclone novice, there’s a certain peace of mind to having all preparations in place. Now it’s just a question of ‘what will be, will be’. Puts a bit of a kybosh on my normal activities, I must say!
I know you will stay safe, so I won’t say that, but I will be thinking of you. I hope there is not too much damage to fix once it is all over x
We need all the well-wishing we can get. It’s just getting stronger and stronger – Category 5 now, which is about as bad as they get. Oh well….
I hope it’s over quickly.
That would be very nice, but also very unlikely!
😦
Thinking of you. Hope all is ok. xxx
We’re prepared, stocked, tummies full of roast lamb and chocolate fudge brownie. Everything is either put away or strapped down, but I can’t do much about the shed… It’ll probably end up on the golf course across the highway. Earplugs when we go to bed, or there’ll be no sleep. Let’s see what tomorrow brings.
Have been thinking of you all morning. Hope the storm decides to turn around and go fabric shopping in another country. 😊
Hugs
Esther
Highly unlikely. I think Marcia has designs on my stash…. Let’s hope she doesn’t decide to spread it all over Mackay while she makes up her mind…
How rude that Marcia has such evil thoughts about your stash!
Hold tight to the ones you love. Thinking of you, and fingers crossed the damage is minimal. Dawn
We’ve come through in one piece. There’s a flappy loose bit on the shed, but it’s still there. Lots of rain and wind, but that nasty Marcia’s backed off and headed south to interfere with the less well-prepared!
Goodness! I hope you our all OK.
We’ve come through in one piece, thanks!
Hope every thing is ok. God bless
LucyAnn & Luna
We’re fine, very relieved. It’s going to be interesting to see if we flood in the rain that’s following in Marcia’s tail!
Glad you all ok. Hope you don’t get flooded.
That would be a lesser problem than losing the roof! But so far, it’s looking OK.
There’s always another shed – I’d be happier to hear that you and Husband and house are all safe and sound.
Then I’m delighted to be able to reassure you. She’s moving away, after a night of waltzing around keeping us guessing. She’ll hit further south very shortly, at Category 5, but in a much more deserted area, which is brilliant news. We’re still getting strong wind and lashing rain, but not the damage we feared.
Morning Kate, hope your night’s been ok. Looks like Rocky will cop the brunt now, with you getting the backwash. Higgins says conditions for Mackay will ease pretty quickly once M makes landfall. Realise you might not have power or internet connection, but wanted to let you know I’m thinking of you, and sending lots of light up that way, for everyone, I feel for everyone waiting for landfall.
Yup, we’ve got wind and lashing rain, but have survived the night intact, woo hoo! Still have power for now. Now we have to watch for flooding, what with the king tide, loads of rain and Mackay being so flat. She’s still a 5, and she’s speeded up a bit, so anything can happen, but I think we’re over the worst. Noisy night….
phew for you, but it’s still powering along ready to impact somewhere else.
Yup, just waiting for the 7am update. Poor souls, whoever they are. A landfall at Shoalwater Bay would be favourite, at least there won’t be too many people there!
Big phews for now. That is really good news! Nature is a powerful thing.
Not a lady to mess with, that’s for sure!
Marcia does sound feisty. I wonder if we will cop some of her wrath in the upper parts of the North Island?
For your sake, I hope not!
Indeed. We sometimes get the dregs of such cyclones. I must check with my cousin in Grafton to see how they are placed re Marcia. Are you safe from Cyclone Lam?
I reckon your cousin in Grafton is getting a soaking and may be at some risk of flooding, depending on how close to the Clarence she lives! I wish her/him all the best. We’re well away from Lam, thank goodness.
Good news about Lam and you! My cousin has lived there for a good many years so will know what to do but it would be good to get a FB message of reassurance back.
Just heard back. It is raining but no wind and Marcia and it’s effects are yet to reach them. They may be stuck at home for the weekend depending on what Marcia ends up doing. Good news which we like a lot!
Have been watching the news, tracking the weather, hoping that as it appears you have dodged Marcia’s bullet… but feeling for those who are in its sights.
We’ll get some dirty weather once she crosses the coast, but have, as you say, dodged the bullet. The shed will live another day…
I think she has Yeppoon in her sights, seems to travelling slower now
The news coverage is looking ugly. Those poor people…. There but for the grace of God, etc.
Saying a prayer for all of you down under. Feeling very grateful for the cold right now.
Pray for the inhabitants of a rather pretty seaside town called Yeppoon…
Will do.
Glad you’re OK. 🙂
Yes, we’re fine, and so very grateful, not just that we’re safe, but also for everyone’s good wishes and postiive thoughts.
Glad to hear you’re ok. That must have been scary.
Very, but you sort of sublimate it in making lots of preparations and staying focussed on getting ready and online storm-chasing! Glad it’s over…. for us, anyway.
That was close! Glad you are ok.
Sure was, and we’re very, very grateful and relieved!