My home state of Queensland usually reflects the 1980s tourism slogan which has (somehow) stuck over intervening decades: Beautiful one day, perfect the next.
Until lately.
I’m fairly sure some of Australia’s more conservative social commentators think we Queenslanders have brought these catastrophic events on ourselves given the recent outcome of our state election (and the ousting of the conservative government). Of course it could be down to climate change. Or perhaps, as he’s told us on Twitter… God is just really pissed off with us. 😉

If you’re not following @TheTweetOfGod on Twitter, then you really need to as the account is HILARIOUS!!!
Firstly several kilometers of peeps were woken at 2am Monday morning by tremors, thanks to a 5.1 magnitude earthquake (inland from where I live). Naturally I woke and tweeted immediately! People were freaked. We don’t get earthquakes in Queensland. Indeed – graphics shared on social media confirmed the rare event. In terms of earthquakes measuring >5, we had one in 2011, and before that 1978, 1965, 1954 (etc).
I’d been through a few minor earthquakes when I lived overseas, so knew exactly what was happening the moment my bed and room started shaking. Having said that, my apartment shook in Cambodia (in 1997) when bombs went off nearby, but I thought that pretty unlikely here in Hervey Bay!
As I lay in bed flicking through social media images I was horrified to see a list of other ‘recent’ earthquakes, including several on the same day! The catatrophiser in me (who used to watch WAY too many disaster movies) wondered if this is how the end comes. Earthquake after earthquake until everything’s destroyed and people are left roaming the streets and starving to death. All leading to the rise of flesh-eating zombies of course.
No sooner had we recovered from the trauma of the earthquake, when a bloody cyclone starts looming down on us. (Well two if you count the one about to descend upon the Northern Territory!)
But this one (named Marcia after the Brady Bunch’s favourite oldest daughter, currently appearing in Oz’s I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here!)*Â is not menacing the far north of the state where all good cyclones like to visit to kick back and catch some rays. Nope… the bloody cyclone is heading for Queensland’s central coast, just north of me! WTF?!
Peeps and houses in the north and far north are usually prepared for such eventualities. They actually listen to the TV ads reminding us to prepare our emergency kit. They’re expert in putting tape on windows and nailing down everything that moves. Elsewhere in the state we’re a bit softer. We’re unaccustomed to the harsh reality of mother nature. Sure we’ve coped with flash flooding and out-of-nowhere storms, but ‘tropical’ cyclones? Jaysus!!!
In my coastal hometown the shops are deserted. Not of people. There are heaps of them roaming the aisles looking bereft and panicked. It’s the shelves which are empty. Most obsessive organised types got in early and bought enough food to see them through the next millennia.
By the time I called in for groceries (just my usual ‘I’ve run out of stuff’ shop) bread, milk and the like had all gone. Fortunately I only needed chocolate chips to make chocolate chip cookies, but because I’m almost as responsible and prepared as a girl scout I bought two packets to make a double batch. They’ll see me through the next day or so impending apocalypse and cold harsh winter.
But, before you take a swipe at me, rest assured I am taking Tropical Cyclone #MarciaMarciaMarcia seriously. I do live in an apartment (with glass balustrades and glass windows/doors, spanning its width) 50m from the ocean after all and we’re expecting king tides and big winds.
Although I forgot to buy batteries and the like, I have stacks of candles – all with nice scents to keep me calm. Some new books for review arrived yesterday AND… I’m keeping my phone, iPad and laptop charged for possible power outages. I do realise the internet will probably be down, but I can play mahjong do some writing and document the adverse conditions in which we find ourselves — while eating choc chip cookies. (Oh, and before you start to worry, I did a big wine-shop last week so the dozen mixed reds / champagnes will last me at least a day or two!) 😉
Of course I do realise I’m not taking this disaster preparedness thing as seriously as I should. Those in South East Asia, Japan and Christchurch could certainly be forgiven for hating my sarcastic diatribe about tsunamis and earthquakes. But, it’s the rarity of them here that’s the weird thing.**
We’re so fortunate; and it’s only when bad stuff happens that we’re reminded of that.
Are you someone who’s well prepared for all eventualities? Any hints – other than having lots of cookies on hand?
Have you ever been through a traumatic natural disaster?
* Coincidence? I think not.
**Plus we like taking the piss out of ourselves. I used the Hervey Bay earthquake pic in my post Monday (read by a more international audience) and said that – we DO usually make sure no one’s been hurt or injured or suffered badly BEFORE we joke about stuff… but eventually we’re able to laugh at ourselves. Hopefully we’ll be doing so on the weekend after the cyclone turns around and exhausts itself out to sea.
February 19, 2015
Good to see you are well prepared Deb. If I run out of food, I am making the fifty metre dash to your place through cyclonic winds for chocolate chip cookies.
February 19, 2015
I’ve just finished making batch 1 Felicity! There may *ahem* be some left by the time Marcia drops by!
February 19, 2015
Fridge is stocked with necessities such as food, beer, wine & champagne here too.
February 19, 2015
Absolutely Jill – all of the important stuff!
February 19, 2015
Glad to hear you have wine. That’d be my priority. We’re used to the threat of cyclones up here but they rarely get to us. We seem to be in a protected spot which means we also miss out on a lot of rain. Good luck with it all Deb 🙂
February 19, 2015
We’re more on the periphery from the look of most maps – Rockhampton to Bundy will bear the brunt I think!
February 19, 2015
Up north we usually have cyclone parties – before and after the event. The before is because I think we feel safer in numbers and the after is usually because we pool our resources. Usually we have no power for a few days so we pool our food, go to Mums because she has a generator (I am MUM now) and after the cleanup, we just spend
time together. The big one from a few years ago we all actually enjoyed the time we spent together. I do hope you are all safe down that way and we can all laugh about it next week.
February 19, 2015
I know. I was hoping I didn’t jinx anything writing about it. In Monday’s post I did comment that the memes (about the ‘earthquake’) didn’t come out until we knew everyone (and everything) was okay. Of course the cyclone’s been upgraded in the last few hours. Nothing much is happening here in Hervey Bay at the moment. I have made a batch of cookies though.
On the power front – my mother lives in Maryborough (40kms away) BUT I think they have the same electricity substation-thingy so she probably won’t be any help. 🙂
February 19, 2015
I really appreciate your idea of prepared choc chips and wine! Oh and scented candles! Perfect! I never think of charging stuff either so you’re well ahead of the game.
February 19, 2015
We had a power outage after a storm not too long ago and I didn’t have stuff charged. I’ve been putting my iPad and iPhone back on the charger all day after I use each a bit!
February 19, 2015
my best tip is DO NOT BE ME.
me + hurricane fran + I SCOFFED + no electricity or heat for a week = a sad sad carla 🙂
February 19, 2015
I’ve been joking about it but do have a bit of a supply of water bottles in my fridge; food that doesn’t need to be cooked; and charged devices, including a lamp or two! That will all be more for the after-effects (flooding, power outages etc). My main worry is the cyclone itself – I have no idea how strong winds would need to be to smash all of my glass windows. (But, having said that – we’re a bit further south to where it’s going to cross the coast.)
February 20, 2015
Stay safe!
My step daughter lives in Gladstone and she’s always marveling at how quickly the shelves empty when the word “cyclone” is used up your neck of the woods.
This one looks like a doozy though …
Tie your outdoor chairs down!
Leanne @ Deep Fried Fruit
February 20, 2015
Your step daughter is practically in the firing line so I hope all is okay with her Leanne! I haven’t tied my chairs down but they’re all stacked in a corner. Hopefully that’s enough!
February 20, 2015
I’ve been thinking about you and another family I know who moved to Yeppoon for work as each update has come through. My friends have been directed by police to head to a shelter. Stay safe lovely. It’s been a crazy couple of weeks on QLD hasn’t it? X
February 20, 2015
Eek Yeppoon seems to be the arrival point and I have seen the messages from QPS etc. What did we do before social media I wonder…?!
February 20, 2015
Glad to hear you’re well prepped! I’ve never experienced anything much more than minor flooding, so I have no doubt my prep would be well over the top or vastly inadequate!
February 20, 2015
Sadly I ate half of my choc chip cookies for breakfast already. Suspect if the power remains on long enough for me to bake another batch later today I won’t need them (for hunkering-down purposes) anyway!
February 20, 2015
Erthquake? Opps, missed that one. No missing this cyclone though. While I am not in the eye of the storm, on the GC I am slowly getting myself into gear. Everything is charging, I’m sending hubby out for bread and milk (if there is any left) and chocolate! And due to the flood prone nature of the short drive between home and school we are having a home day today. I hope the Internet stays connected though!
February 20, 2015
I’m with you on the internet front Malinda. I have ADSL though and guess if the power goes out, I lose that… hmmm… Luckily I like reading! 😉
Hope you don’t cop too much of it down there.
Deb
February 20, 2015
Our pantry is usually well stocked and I keep a 10L water jug in the linen cupboard near the bug out bag, but last night I washed all my spare jugs, water bottles etc and filled them with water. I’m glad I did my general fortnightly grocery shop before we knew how bad it was going to be – everything was on the shelves as per normal 🙂
February 20, 2015
Well done! Fortunately I’m not a big bread eater and don’t really need milk… so they weren’t biggies for me. Someone else said the meat section of the supermarket had been pretty much picked-over too though!
February 20, 2015
Remember Space Food Sticks? I’d go for those, too. Good luck, Deb. 🙂
February 20, 2015
Hee hee!!! Or just tins of SPAM!
February 20, 2015
It’s nice to hear the lighter side of this cyclone! That’s how we cope – with our awesome Aussie sense of humour!
February 20, 2015
So true Janet! I thought that Tues when I saw the earthquake memes!
February 20, 2015
I hope you survive! With wine and chocolate chips you should be fine!
It’s odd seeing it all happen from SA. Other cyclones I’ve been in the NT for, so it feels somewhat different.
February 20, 2015
Oh yes Jess – hopefully your old friends in NT haven’t been in affected by Cyclone Lam!
February 20, 2015
I decided that I should get some torches and batteries this morning when I went to the shops after I heard on the radio that some Brisbane suburbs were without power. Totally forgot the torches but brought home a new Garmin watch so at least I’ll know how fast I’m running when some tidal surge threatens on tomorrow’s run. I think I’ve got my priorities just right.
February 20, 2015
Oh absolutely Char. For me it’s all about the wine, chocolates and reading fodder; for you it’s about the watch. As long as we’re happy!!! 🙂
February 20, 2015
oh God that made me laugh. Even though I haven’t heard from friends in Yepoon for over 7 hours, so it’s really not funny. I hope the choc chip cookies have seen you through?!!? Now I want cookies but all I made today was shortbread and butter biscuits. Bahhumbug. x Aroha
February 20, 2015
This was only the second batch of cookies I’d made in about 20yrs! (I don’t ‘bake’ much / at all!) Of course they’re gone already. I tweeted today that I got so bored waiting for the storm / cyclone / floods, that I ate my storm / cyclone / floods emergency food!!! #eek
February 20, 2015
Stay safe Deb! Hope it’s not too bad up there. I’ve never experienced anything like a cyclone and not sure I want to.
February 20, 2015
It’s yet to reach us but will just be very storm-like when it does I think. We’ve been pretty fortunate in general – here in the Wide Bay / Fraser Coast – but also in Qld I think… given the velocity of the cyclone as it crossed the coast!
February 21, 2015
How did you go hun? I hope you still have power, and bubbles for a nice bath! I have to laugh at the Hervey Bay quake chair photos – hilare! x
February 22, 2015
All good here Em – some high tides and biggish winds but all a bit of an anticlimax – unsurprisingly!
February 22, 2015
Always better to be prepared with two batches of cookies than one, never know how long the power will be out and you can bake again! But seriously, hope all is well your way and everyone stayed safe.
February 23, 2015
Yes, all was fine here Erika. And the cookies were good! 🙂