North Australian FISH FINDER TM forums

I would stay, I have a lot of Cyclone Experience from the Pilbara, would get 4 - 6 cyclones a year down there!
Been through 1 Cat 5, 2 - 3 Cat 4's and countless 1, 2's and 3's

Im pretty self sufficient, and if it is a really Big Cat 5 I will probably take my family to where I work as that shed aint going anywhere.

Hey 2rods, if it's a BIG Cat 5 mate, Katherine aint out of the poop either mate. And if Darwin goes Black (electricity) katherine will also as were all on the same grid.

Id be trying to get a berth at Geoff Corrys sounds like hes pretty well set up

G'day,

I'm currently living down in Townsville at the moment. When I was a teenager we once had the roof ripped off our homestead by a freak inland Tornado sort of thing. The roof was totalled and house damaged. With that in mind, I sent my wife and 2 young kids down to a relative's station located well inland. At least they could stay there for a while if we had no power or if the house was badly damaged.

When it went Cat 5 and started drifting South, I made the decision to go join them. I figured I would get back the next day and if the house was OK I'd say "Great, no damage" or if the house was totalled I'd be saying "Great, I'm glad I wasn't in that". I don't really see the point in hiding inside a small room for the night as there is not much you can do. It's not like fighting a bushfire where you actually may have a chance to beat it. The outcome of a big cylone is all in the hands of mother nature and luck.......

If another big Cat 4 or 5 were to come next week, I would do exactly the same again.

Cheers,
Roo.

Roo on the east coast you may have somewhere to go but in Darwin we have one road south ,there would be no accommodation so your in a car or tent if the rain cut a road we mite be sitting in a car in a cat5, the last threat of a cyclone police were on the road telling people to go back to Darwin ,people done the big exit to Adelaide River the cyclone missed Darwin and headed for Adelaide River as a cat1 ,police say that
if you live in Darwin in a cyclone coded home then that is the safest place to be .and remember when it hits there is no coming back, the joint will be shutdown till the chit is sorted out,

Yeah mate, I understand about the roads/accomodation etc as I used to live up there myself.

Obviously, everyone couldn't stay in Adealaide River or Katherine etc. However, in the face of a big CAT 4 or 5, if I had the choice of taking my family and heading South a bit to stay with friends/family etc for a day or two, I would still seriously consider it a pretty good option. Everyone has their own priorities and individual issues to consider though.

Cheers,
Roo.

If it was Cat 5 I'd Load up the family (and the boat) and head to Jabiru as everyone else would be headed to Katherine. Cat 4 or less I'd stay.

Finatic2 wrote:If it was Cat 5 I'd Load up the family (and the boat) and head to Jabiru as everyone else would be headed to Katherine. Cat 4 or less I'd stay.

What is the theory behind heading to Jabaru? In my oppinion Jabaru is probably one of the worst places to head as the roads all get blocked and the place has a greater potential for flooding. Plus it isnt all that far from the coast so would still cop the full brunt of a cyclone. The one that went through that way a couple of years ago did a hell of a lot of damage out that way and it was amazing when you looked at how many of those trees and that had been flattened.

Cyclones generally go from east to west. Sure you might get flooded in but youll be flooded in anywhere in the top half. There is also the possibility you could get out on the south Kakadu hwy to Pine creek afterwards. The one that cut through Jabiru a few years back was a left over one from QLD.
Just my theory anyway.

Finatic2 wrote:If it was Cat 5 I'd Load up the family (and the boat) and head to Jabiru as everyone else would be headed to Katherine. Cat 4 or less I'd stay.

Hmm Might revise that looks like Id need a boat just to get to Jabiru....

Finatic2 wrote:

Finatic2 wrote:If it was Cat 5 I'd Load up the family (and the boat) and head to Jabiru as everyone else would be headed to Katherine. Cat 4 or less I'd stay.

Hmm Might revise that looks like Id need a boat just to get to Jabiru....

Thought you might. Cyclones in the north are even harder to predict than in the east so unless you are going to pack up and run on every low pressure system before the cyclone forms and gets here you wouldnt get out there. Same goes as for running to Katherine. Katherine is right in the middle of the basement for all of the major rivers in the territory so I wouldnt say that is safe either. Better just fortifying a good room in the middle of the house with mattresses and such and riding it out. If you got a little generater and a engel and a couple of cartons of p..s youll be right. Some food is a added bonus and a little gas burner makes life easier too. Fluro car light and some coloured celothane and you can make it a party.