Published by the Diocese of Special Edition April 2015 Volume 124 No 2 Backyard of Keppel Parish Rectory & church building CYCLONE showing scars after Marcia MARCIA CYCLONE MARCIA AT KEPPEL RECTORY On Thursday night I spoke to my husband, Michael, who was in Israel, telling him that I had our 3½ year old grandaughter, Lucy, with me and that we had tidied the yard and brought inside the cat, birds and guinea pigs. I had shopped for essentials but forgot to buy ice. On Thursday evening, with Lucy asleep downstairs and heavy rain falling, I took all our emergency items downstairs as well, believing that we would be quite safe as the rectory was only three years old. We woke to lots of wind but not as much as I had thought. There was to be a higher than normal King Tide so I knew the creek at Taranganba would progress into days not hours according to the would flood the access road. Jacob rang to say he did advice broadcast throughout the region. By 2:00pm it not have to work so I said it was best to stay in appeared there was a lull in the storm, I listened to the Rockhampton as Lucy was safe and we would wait it location of the and we had escaped that here in out here. My email reassured me it was not necessary . Even though the eastern side of the house to go to work. I prepared Lucy by saying we are having and sliding doors and verandah were blasted with green a lot of wind and the trees are blowing around because vegetation, I thought we had come through well. The of the cyclone. After breakfast, we took Lucy's things transformation of the scene outside was amazing: trees downstairs; puzzles, toys, bedding and colouring and defoliated, branches stripped off some trees, trees drawing pencils, Lego and blocks, and clothes. With the toppled by the storm lay across the top driveway. radio on continuously, we moved downstairs about Asbestos roofing impaled directly into the ground and 9:00am. I settled Lucy into the downstairs bedroom, glass everywhere along the path. Michael rang and said away from the front windows and the increasing noise to go outside to check the church buildings. I looked of the storm around us. Lucy said, “The trees are back over our roof and water was pouring over the roof dancing!” where the solar hot water had been. All the glass over We played and drew in her sketch book. She loves the back yard was from the solar panels. I quickly dramatic play and sang nursery rhymes. Michael rang. realised the water was running into the study. Michael I mentioned something had just bumped our roof. I had indicated over the phone where to turn the water off. No also inspected our yard and said someone's shed roof water to the house meant bucketing from the church was in the backyard. I said we were safe and well and ablutions block. Lucy was happy but our conversation was cut short. The power cut out about 11:00am at Tarranganba. I heard warnings about water supply and communication outages too. This was worrying. I was not expecting no communication at all. I went upstairs to make sure all of the windows were holding with towels and cushions - masking tape was useless! I realised that mopping up would have to wait as keeping Lucy amused and distracted was more important. She ventured out to see what was happening upstairs and came back to say "Grandma, it is scary upstairs!" The solar hot water panels from the Rectory roof on the As time went on, we realised the outages lawn of grass and glass. Special Edition April 2015 The Anglican Gazette Page 1 Evening came and it was eerie as there was no Lyn Timms’ driveway blocked by 20m high pine trees street lighting and few house lights unless there that fell like dominos were generators being used. We had gas so it was ok to cook. Lucy loved holding the 'Carols by Candlelight' battery operated candles and fascinated by Grandma lighting the large citronella candle! Dinner by Candlelight! She loved it. I had heard that the Rockhampton to Yeppoon Road was cut so Jacob would have to wait a few days to pick up Lucy. There was a bit to clean up around the place even though I had no power, no running water or communication. The toilet downstairs flushed as it was on tank water. Good thing I remembered how to have a bath out of a bucket. First task of the day - boil the water - isn't that what my Grandmother had done all those years ago? It took several days to get ice but I was very grateful to finally have some. Lucy took it all in her stride as she pointed out the trees down, remembered the wind, returned to day care and took all my strength to push the door closed and the routines were restored quickly. She still talks about the dividing wall around the door was moving in and out cyclone and sweeping the verandah with Grandma. while the wind continued to howl with the rain pouring My reflection is: not to take anything for granted, be in. resourceful, no matter who you are and don't feel sorry We could see many of our huge trees, some 20 for yourself - there is always someone worse off. Our metres high being blown over and uprooted. Branches Lord's provision is merciful, and individual for us all. It of considerable weight we heard rolling across the roof. has taken time to find mail and other important The "whirly bird" on our roof was torn off and water information that was quickly dried and put away, now leaked through over the dining table. where did I put that? There was water to mop up, We had nine pine trees across our front yard, the carpets to air, furniture disorganised in the race to largest three were about 20 meters high. As we make safe. A friend offered a hot shower one night as watched, one fell against the next and then the next in power rolled out - wonderful! The simple pleasures of a domino action these blocked our driveways. At the life were greatly appreciated. Thank God for friends! back, only meters from the back door, we had three The destruction was incredible but the resilience of the eucalypt trees about the same height which were blown community shone through. I was very pleased to see over with such force their roots were pulled out of the Michael return at the end of the week! ground. Another tree fell on the lawn shed and then Lynette Donaldson another on the shed housing our boat. In another Keppel Parish Yeppoon bedroom the window broke and the ceiling collapsed. ------This all continued with the howling wind for five hours On Friday 19th February our daughter in Darwin or more. phoned. She was concerned for us as she heard on the We lost our power, which meant no bore water. We radio that Cyclone Marcia would hit Yeppoon the have a small tank but this was full of leaves and dust following day. This was more than we knew as the as the filter had been blown off. Also the phone line was reports on the local radio stations here were contradictive. We heard it was to be St Lawrence then around Marlborough then maybe Shoalwater Bay. Friday morning we knew cyclone Marcia was here. At 9:30am the wind was howling and the rain was so heavy the sills on the windows overflowed and the rain ran in between the walls and down the inside walls. A huge tree near our house snapped off and the top branches broke the window in one bedroom and went through the wall in the other bedroom. My husband and son nailed a piece of timber over the window with much difficulty As they walked away the timber was blown off the nails and into the room almost hitting them both. We decided to just close the door and worry about the rest of the house. It Cyclone Marcia damage to a house in Yeppoon.

Page 2 The Anglican Gazette Special Edition April 2015 cut. We had a light connected to a battery. We Tree at Lis Escop hits the neighbouring house bathed with solar showers or in the creek down the road. One friend came with two generators to start the pump and run it long enough to refill the tank. Early the next morning a neighbour came with a chainsaw to cut the trees across the driveway. We did not know where to start but realised we had to start somewhere. A patch was put over the roof, and a window repaired. The following Sunday morning we awoke to find a cousin and her son from Beerwah asleep in the spare room, they had driven through the night with generators, chainsaws, food and fuel. That morning our power was reconnected. Also the same day friends of our son offered more chainsaws and then an offer of a small dozer. We were so thankful. Our phone was reconnected three weeks later and our TV aerial was repaired on 26 March. We praise God for his protection and provision. lucky. We had a phone service in two days and power in Lyn Timms - Keppel Parish Yeppoon five (am I alone or did it feel much longer?) Telstra, ------Ergon and the SES are the heroes of the day as they did In the aftermath of Cyclone Marcia, we just looked a fantastic job. around stunned at the devastation to the trees on the Denise & Tony Welch - Keppel Parish Yeppoon hills surrounding the valley of Adelaide Park. Naked, ------broken and fallen gums everywhere. Even now, over a Two weeks after the devastation of Cyclone Marcia month later, when I drive into Yeppoon I feel as though we took a drive to Byfield to see first hand the effects of my senses have been assaulted as the battered the cyclone on this area that prides itself on abundant vegetation has changed the landscape we have known vegetation. for the last 30 years. Everyone I talk to feels the same; Sadly, it is the vegetation that has taken the hardest however, we also feel that we came off lightly that impact of Marcia. All along the road the results of Friday. Back on the farm we took stock of the damage mighty efforts that have gone into clearing back to the fruit trees and the nets which were protecting the vegetation were evident. In the forest area with longan crop. Most of our 200 longan trees have been plantation pine there are vast areas that have been blown out, or at least over, and approximately 40 lychee flattened. Many trees are flattened at the roots, some as trees suffered the same fate. Most of the fruit was large as 15 inches in diameter are snapped off a metre stripped from the branches and what was left was above the ground! What amazing force is at work to do greatly appreciated by the birds, bats and insects as the this. bush was no longer a food source. The lychee crop had As you look out at the distant hills the trees are bare finished and most of the nets were safe back in the with the ground clearly visible. The only other time I shed. The nets that were still out protecting the longans have seen such a thing is after a bush fire. were blown off and ripped, shredded and flung far and It will take a long time to clear up much of the wide, some wrapping themselves around and around a vegetation that has been downed, some of it will remain barb wire fence. That will be fun to untangle when we as a lasting reminder of the time the power of Marcia get to that job. Damage done - weeks and weeks of came to town. cleaning up plus $15,000 of net and crop lost. Our There are many business that will take a long time house and shed stood strong so we actually are feeling to recover. Boundary Nursery for instance suffered tens of thousands of dollars in damage along with lost Cyclone Marcia aftermath at Emu Park near Yeppoon. production time. With insurance premiums too Picture: Glenn Adamus expensive these businesses will need the help of government to bring them through this devastation. Reverend Mike Donaldson Keppel Parish Yeppoon ------It is true that good can be experienced in even the most difficult times. The Parish of Keppel was in the path of TC Marcia and many in our community suffered considerable damage to property and commercial endeavours. Our beautiful environment, once so green and forested, is now in a sorry state. One frequent comment has been, "We have been blessed as no lives were lost." The heartache of our rural families to see their Special Edition April 2015 The Anglican Gazette Page 3 many years of hard work devastated in just a few hours has been difficult but when a call for help went out to help a macadamia farmer pick up fallen nuts, people rallied to assist where they could. When one lady was telling how they had lost an entire section of fruit trees, she then said how fortunate we are here compared to the total loss of homes, lives and businesses in Vanuatu. Many people have been the recipients of generous acts of kindness since the cyclone so we can be assured that God is at work in these times of need. How does an entire community survive a cyclone and then for days, and even weeks, have no electricity, no telephones (except mobiles if charged up), limited water, few shops able to sell food and other essentials, Some of the LSO team in Biloela roads closed in many areas, limited cooking facilities and many people relying on ice to keep perishables sustaining damage. While Fitzroy St has partially re- cool, spoiled food to bin - all the time attempting to opened, Musgrave St will be closed until further notice clean their areas, establish some normal routines and and staff are working from temporary office space in overcome the feeling of shock that was evident in Quay St. Our staff went above and beyond in the days stories being told. "Love your neighbour" has been a immediately heartfelt sentiment that is helping our community following the recover from TC Marcia. cyclone, with Marzley Baldwin - Keppel Parish Yeppoon normal ------services up ANGLICARECQ REPORTS and running Since Cyclone Marcia crossed the coast, Anglicare within days as Central has: well as extra  Distributed $50,000 of cyclone emergency relief to support for 487 families and individuals across Rockhampton, our Yeppoon and Byfield, in partnership with the participants Department of Communities. and services  Provided counselling, emotional support and to help with practical help for people affected by the cyclone and emergency subsequent flooding. assistance  Visited all the properties we manage in the and disaster Rockhampton region to check in with tenants and recovery. assess damage, and started the process of getting repairs underway.  Checked in with all our foster and kinship carers in the Rockhampton region, and provided extra support where necessary.  Put together hot meals, salad packs and sandwiches Above: for flood-affected residents in Callide communities, Damage to as part of a community effort organised by Paul staff areas at Loane Solicitors. Musgrave St  Sent outreach teams to check on families affected by Anglicare flooding in the Biloela area, to offer support and let offices them know about the services available.  Provided extra support to participants in our counselling and mental health programs. AnglicareCQ is making plans to meet the community’s changing needs as the recovery continues. While the immediate crisis has passed, the coming months will bring a different kind of hardship to those Left: Salads rebuilding homes, businesses and lives. We’ll be prepared by putting services in place to help people dealing with Biloela team ongoing stress, and to address issues like emerging for Cyclone mental health needs, financial distress, family friction flood victims and domestic violence. We’re also working through our own cyclone recovery, with two of our Rockhampton offices Page 4 The Anglican Gazette Special Edition April 2015