Friday 13th, Caught in a Category Three Cyclone

As tropical cyclone Olwyn swept down the coast of Western Australia, I had no idea what to expect. First it was a category one, then it intensified to a category two, until finally it became a category three cyclone and was heading directly for Carnarvon, my current home. As I waited, I saw images of Exmouth (to the north) which had seemingly been obliterated – buildings trashed and trees down. What were we to do we faced with predicted winds of 200 km/h?

Curiously, the cyclone finally struck on Friday 13th. In preparation of our almost guaranteed loss of power and water, I had charged my kindle, got hold of a torch, and been to the shops where I stocked up on many litres of water, a giant jar of peanut butter, and a carton of beer – the essentials in life.

Then the cyclone struck. It tore the roofs off buildings and blew down many trees, but in my little cocooned world, I knew very little about it save for my brief forays into the wind to feel what strong winds feel like. They are cold, but the air was warm.

Cyclone Olwyn in Carnarvon 007

Was I scared? Not really. Not a lot happened inside our solid walls. Although I did have the thrill of looking out the window as a large tree was blown over.

Power went out and water was cut off. The worst thing about this cyclone was not being able to flush the toilet for multiple days. And having no water to drink.

When all the chaos was over, the beautiful blue skies and warm weather returned. Here are a couple of aftermath shots.

Cyclone Olwyn in Carnarvon 006

Cyclone Olwyn in Carnarvon 001

Cyclone Olwyn in Carnarvon 005

Cyclone Olwyn in Carnarvon 004

Cyclone Olwyn in Carnarvon 003

By | 2015-03-19T15:43:46+00:00 March 19th, 2015|Stories|0 Comments

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