Storms: a "Titanic" moment?

A false sense of security

The usual monthly Russell Island Association meeting on Saturday was not a happy one.
We were all smarting from the storms and particularly from the loss of power for four days but most of all from not knowing what was going on.

It was not supposed to be like this: the power outages of the past were supposed to have been fixed by the building of a substation on the island. 

Many people on Russell had a Titanic experience.

It wasn't just the smelly mounds of frozen meat and other food being taken to the dump or the trees being ripped up: it was not knowing what was going on.

Unlike the mainland where the radio stations were keeping householders reasonably informed about local problems, we had nothing or worse, misinformation about when and what services would come on line:

• Russell Island's only retail food store, closed suddenly when the blackout came in an effort to save the cold stock.  No generator backup and no explanations.
• Without power and no hand pumps, the only service station was closed too. Thus there was a wild rush to the mainland to pick up more fuel for generators.
• We soon ran through what ice was available from the local liquor store
• The Bowls Club remained open because it had by some miracle power on.  Those who knew were able to find refuge there and contributed to a giant cook out to keep people fed.  But many were in the dark and assumed that it, like most of the rest of the islands was shut down.  
• RSL Club, that was shut tight and was not online until a day after power was restored. Up until the power cut, it had been a rallying point with the big screen television giving news of what was happening in the wider world.
• It was next to impossible to find out when and where ferries might arrive so people could not plan shopping trips to the mainland--even if they could get there through the downed trees and powerlines.

On Macleay, it was nowhere near as bad because at least one of the foodstores had a generator and the Council was able to keep it running with a delivery of fuel. 

But the biggest problem was just not knowing. No disaster recovery centre had been set up for the island. No emergency routines had been put in place despite appeals for many years for some clear plans to be put in place. 

It would be easy to blame the victims here: every household should have had enough to see them through but we are not talking about a normal population here.  The population has doubled on Russell in the last ten years and seen an influx of urban dwellers rather than people used to the rigours of isolation that the older residents were prepared for. If you hadn't noticed it is almost impossible now to buy a phone that will work without being plugged in.  Smartphones died as batteries petered out. Even if you did get through to the electricity people you were given wildly optimistic times for power restorations.

And there are aspects that are only just coming to light: many of the newly installed and mandatory household sewerage plants require power to operate--how much damage has been done to them and consequently to the environment is not known. 

This was systemic failure.  We didn't hit an iceberg but we were victims of the same kind of thinking both from authorise and at a personal level.  When the Titanic went down, enquiries found the deficiencies and safety at sea was vastly improved.  Will we learn the same kind of lesson from this minor disaster or will it all be forgotten until the next time?

The only retail establishment open on Russell after the storm was the local bottleshop.

Peace returns

Dawn breaks on a new week. The Australia Day weekend storms that wrought destruction on South East Queensland are replaced by what promises to be a magnificent dawn. Yes,  on the Southern Moreton Bay Islands, there is much to be done but the electricity is being restored, the boats are being rescued from the mangroves, the barges and passenger ferries are back in operation and the local fire brigades and SES have done a cracker job in clearing the debris from the roads. We did escape the worst.

Cruiser up on Redland Bay shoreline

Someone improvised with found containers to clear some of the way.

Sad. An adolescent Morten Bay Fig up rooted.

Pathway now rocky presents a big job for Council worker

Another

And another

And another

And another

And another

And another

And even more

Of course it isn't all sweetness and light, travelling in from Russell Island to Victoria  Point following the shoreline revealed much destructive force from the ex-tropical cyclone. " Not as bad as '74" I was assured by an old resident on the ferry.
Still, I counted nine yachts and cruisers beached on the islands and along the mainland. The normally fast shaded cycle and walking route up to the Redland Bay Golf Club was a miserable lumpiness of broken trees, seaweed, plastic bottles and  large stones flung up by the storm surge and hard onshore wind. The pleasant little playground and fitness area was a mess with its shade cloths shredded and trees uprooted.

Emergency services and Council are working well

A few minutes ago, my house and half of the population on Russell Island, lost power.
This post is being tapped outto you from my my smart phone in the roaring wind of a black night knowing that it could get worse before it gets better.
But what is a great solice is that Redland Council and the State's Emergency Management seen to really have it together this time around, giving a blow by blow description of what is happening out in that nervous darkness as the worst of the storm approaches.
Check it out for yourself here

Storm force on Moreton Bay

BITS ferry A.L.Robb storms through through the white out on Sunday

Yacht washed up on Karragarra shoreline

I don't want to sound panicky but it ain't a good day out on the water: visibility is poor, the water very choppy and the wind is blowing the rain horizontal.  The Bureau of Meteorology updated its warnings for Moreton Bay at 3:25 pm:

Storm Force Wind Warning

Double Island Point to Point Danger, including Moreton Bay

E to NE winds 40 to 45 knots, reaching 45 to 50 knots during Sunday. Scattered squalls to 75 knots.

Seas 4 to 5 metres, reaching 6.5 metres south of Noosa. E to NE swells 4 metres, increasing to 5 metres on Monday. Waves and swell breaking dangerously inshore.

At least three boats have been torn from their moorings around the islands.  The ferries and the barges are still running--but for how much longer? Only one of the BITS ferries is still going but if conditions continues will probably stop before dark closes in.

Branch across road on Karragarra Island

On land it ain't all that good either.  Branches are down during the afternoon power was lost on Macleay and Russell. The SupaIGA supermarket on Russell is closed to preserve the frozen food.
The Redland City Council has just issued this update:

Evacuation of campers at Flinders Beach and Main Beach, North Stradbroke Island, is under way due to strong winds and high rainfall and the island’s ferry services have been cancelled.

Karen Williams

Redland City Mayor Karen Williams said Redland City Council had established an evacuation centre at Pt Lookout Community Hall.

“Council is assisting Straddie Camping with the evacuations of 62 campers – 50 from Flinders Beach and 12 from Main Beach,” Cr Williams said. 

“Many will stay at council’s evacuation centre at Pt Lookout community Hall, while others are seeking accommodation through real estate agents.

“Red Cross personnel are also making their way to the evacuation centre to offer assistance.

“We were concerned about falling trees and the effects of high rainfalls in the Flinders Beach and Main Beach camping areas.

“Council has been advised all barges and ferries to and from North Stradbroke Island have currently been cancelled for the remainder of the day.

“Similarly, Council has been advised that the last vehicle ferry service at 4.45pm from Redland Bay to the Southern Moreton Bay Islands of Karragarra, Macleay, Russell and Lamb islands would be cancelled, as would the barge’s 6pm return trip from Russell Island to Redland Bay.”

Local Disaster Management Group activated

Cr Williams said the Redland Local Disaster Management Group (LDMG) had this morning been activated and was coordinating responses across the city.

“Residents should be prepared for severe weather conditions, including wind speeds up to 125km/hour and 200mm-300mm of rain in a few hours,” she said.

“The advice is that the system is moving faster than it has been previously – this means the period of rainfall we experience in the Redlands may be less, but it will be a time of intense rainfall, potentially up to 200mm to 300mm.

“There has been a lot of damage in the north from mini tornado conditions and I want all Redland residents to be prepared and stay safe. 

“People need to stay away from the water’s edge, from drains and fallen powerlines. Please do not sight-see at the water’s edge.”

Council’s Operations Centre is open and can be contacted on 3829 8752 for emergencies relating to the flooding of roads and fallen tree limbs.