The Yasi Round-up!

It's now morning and I'm trying to find out what's happening with everybody in the path of Cyclone Yasi.

ABC news says there's no dead, which is great news and an immediate "Phheww!", but I'm am now phoning and e-mailing around for updates from family, friends and loved ones.

So far I've just heard from Baby Jane. She is fine, although I haven't any more news than a quickly dashed off e-mail at first light saying she's alive and not traumatised although "the cyclone's roar shudders at your core." and is yet to see how her house fared.   As you know, she spent the night at The Old Folks Home, in the mattress-filled chapel with all the sweet old folk while Peter and two German WOOFERS defended her house for her.  The poor honey didn't know where to be while Innisfail faced down "the worst cyclone ever to hit our coast." and, in the end, decided that The Captain Goes Down With The Ship and so chose to be at work!

Hopefully I'll get an e-mail from her soon filling in all the details.

As for her kiddies?  Well, now that they're both driving and both have cars, they went ALL-RAT on her!  Naturally, Ella gleefully RATTED and was out of there the minute she heard what was heading their way.  Talei however had to be gently cajoled into RATTERY because she's not someone who finds it easy to betray anyone, let alone in a crisis.

Both kiddies went down to Townsville, which was still in the path, but much less likely to get a direct hit, so I got lots of texts from Ella last night saying "Your house is sooo destroyed!" which, because it was Ella, I didn't take seriously but which did mean, because I couldn't be sure, I was unnecessarily concerned about our place back in Australia.

Still don't know how our house fared. I've just now got one reply to my messages saying it was still standing and appeared to have no structural damage, but that I had a great many trees uprooted and even more at a dangerous slant.

Mmmm, that will make Keith very happy.  He hates my trees and this will be a true joy for him to order them to be axed into pieces and hauled out of there.  He doesn't seem to be aware that those trees laid down their lives to protect our house and that he should stop being so creepy about their demise!

Apart from that, it seems there is still a storm surge in progress in Townsville, although not the 7 metres in height predicted, so I can't yet know how it's all turned out. Fingers crossed it didn't go under!  I love my furniture and really don't want to toss it out because of flood damage ...

... I've justnow written to Big Brother, back from Japan, asking him to use his google earth program to find out how we're coping!  Haven't heard back yet!  Fingers crossed!

As for everyone else, news is coming in: Julie C. says her kids phoned and they're fine.  Alex and Rick W. had a very rough night listening to the very pretty park opposite their house being devastated - and woke to see the entire place flattened without a single tree left standing - but who didn't go under.  Lyn in Cairns said she's fine but very tired because it was a terrible night.  Everyone else, I have yet to hear from.

Hey, guys, LET US KNOW.  We're worried!