Climate Disasters ---- Cyclones

Glad to hear you're OK @HenryX. I think a few of us have been watching for you to come back online.

Good that your house didn't get too much damage. One thing that's been in the news is the problem that building supplies and builders + other associated tradies are in short supply at the moment, so I'd suggest hanging on to the corrugated iron, in case you need to reattach the existing pieces, and if you get a suitable tradie saying they're available, grab them while you can!

@Smc @Shaz51 @MDT @Appleblossom @Adge

Thanks Smc,

Very much appreciate the great vibes, that have been coming our direction, from different parts of Australia.

Yes, fortunately, the roofing iron was not too badly damaged, so will go back up till supplies become available. The part that was peeled back, settled back into place when the wind died down. I have been able to get a rope over it to hold it in place temporarily. I have come out of the storm with far less damage than many, despite my house being an old cottage from the 40's I believe.

There will be a strong and continuing demand for building supplies that will mean scarcity for a while. My home can be made weather-proof with little work. Others have not been so fortunate. When I can get the material, I will replace what I can. Despite surviving the storm the place needs a fair amount of work. So, I will use events as the stimulus for the required improvements as I am able.

Cheers and Best Wishes for now,

HenryX

@Shaz51 @Smc @MDT @Appleblossom @Adge @Always-hope

Thanks Shaz,

You've had a run of difficulty and stress which, I think, is a gross understatement, from the reports that you have written. Very disappointing and I am so very sorry to hear about your house. I feel for you both. I have now just gone through just the significant threat of disaster, and that has wrung me out a bit.

Yes, power will not be available here for quite a while. In many ways, I have been fortunate. I have all the basics that I need, so will use this time to sort myself out. Definitely, time to start distributing what I have, to go to the people whom I want. These sorts of events give cause for significant reflection and decision making and appropriate action. I am also aware that my capacity to deal with physical demands is rapidly diminishing. Particularly if such events are sudden and anything approaching catastrophic.

Time for review and new directions.

For now,

Best Wishes

HenryX

@HenryX Sorry to hear you have been affected by the cyclones that came through

WA. I hope you and your dog will be safe in your home and have enough supplies.

It is shocking to see the carnage it has caused. so many lives and businesses affected. Looking forward to visiting again and supporting Kalbarri and the local areas when we can. Stay safe 🌻💛

Don't know how you managed @Shaz51 15 days no power!

lets hope that you don't have to go through that again.

@Former-Member @Shaz51 @Appleblossom @Smc @MDT @Darcy @Determined @Daisydreamer @Emelia8 @Madge78 @Smc

and everyone else

Thank you very much @Former-Member, and everyone else, for your encouragement and concern for others and me in the wake of the storm. Our communications are still very limited. Even some landline phones have been disrupted. Except for a couple of hours yesterday, there is still no mobile phone service. Those who have functioning landlines and/or those who have satellite connections, have the internet and thus email. Consequently, it is as though we have a "communications partial vacuum".

We had a small group at the aged residential care campus for singing this morning. After that, I did a drive around town. I wouldn't use the word carnage, but there are towns very much more severely affected. Given what our town looks like with some large trees blown over, rooves blown off, fences flattened; it's difficult to imagine what other towns must look like given those other towns are worse off than ours. Most of the roads had to be cleared of trees and branches to allow traffic access. That was one of the first things to be done. I have said elsewhere that the vegetation North of Perth is relatively sparse, mostly scrubby bushland. Despite that, it is amazing how much needed to be cleared.

Also, despite the magnitude of the damage, most people are generally getting on with what needs to be done. Thankfully, people in general, are maintaining good spirits. Probably as much to assist each other, whatever they may feel like personally. I think it is that spirit that goes a long way to getting us through these sorts of crises.

Now back to some more physical work.

Best Wishes

HenryX

Very true @Former-Member

And to see people coming together is soo awesome

@HenryX ' @Smc ' @Appleblossom ' @MDT

@Shaz51 @Former-Member @Smc @MDT @Appleblossom @Darcy @Determined @Daisydreamer @Emelia8 @Madge78

Re-Post

To Everyone

Thank you all forum members, for the encouragement, good wishes and reassurance during and following this recent cyclone event in Western Australia. It certainly has been an (unwelcome) experience. However, as I have said in other posts, it truly is amazing to see what can be accomplished when people have a purpose and goal. The support and camaraderie extended by people to each other are fantastic to see. Those sentiments do not apply just in my immediate environment but from as distant and far away as people are from one another on this forum. For me to have people, whom I know only by their written word, a pseudonym and avatar, providing encouragement and moral support, has been very sustaining during a difficult time. That is demonstrated by the fact that I look forward to returning to the messages posted and the engagement available to me through the forum.

It is also surprising that, under normal day-to-day circumstances, losing a portion of the roof on the house would be a significant blow and even cause for considerable distress. The whole perspective is changed when one is aware that others have lost their houses, homes and businesses.

Unfortunately, one person has lost their life in this cyclone. Given the magnitude of the event, we are certainly thankful that more lives have not been lost. This is particularly so in view of the fact that the majority of buildings in the path of the cyclone would not have been cyclone rated.

Australia has "copped" a few heavy hits in the past few years. Rebuilding, in all the senses of the word, I believe, must be our target. My concept of appropriate hierarchy, in Australia, is based on the individual, the family, community, state and the nation. We need to look after ourselves, not at the expense of the interests or welfare of others, but rather so that we maintain the best capacity that we can manage, individually, in order to contribute to the benefit of each level above us in what is essentially an inverted hierarchy.

I hope that is not sounding too philosophical, but it is the reason and the incentive for me to get out and do as much as I can, for myself, to recover the ground lost {using a military analogy}. In this way, I am better able to contribute, if and when required. This idea is well extended to our own experiences, as forum members, gathered in a group that serves people with various but somewhat similar issues and experiences in their lives. All this in our effort to work to achieve our best possible capacity, first for ourselves, and thus improving our own reserve capacity to meet the needs of others from time to time, as the need and opportunity arise. For many people, particularly carers, the demand on their personal reserves is almost constant.

With Much Appreciation

&

My Very Best Wishes

HenryX