Batten down the hatches for Cyclone Carlos is here!

Yes, the tropical storm that has been occurring for the last 50 hours is upgraded to a Category 1 cyclone, named Carlos. Since  the wee hours of this morning a warning has been issued, all non-essential office workers have been sent home, and most shops have closed.

As Brandon says, it's scary. Mind you this is only category 1 cyclone. This is nothing compared to Cyclone Yasi which hit Queensland at category 5 two weeks ago. With gale force winds over 300km/hour and a storm span of over 500km, anyone would be terrified. Carlos is only having a mild tantrum in comparison to Yasi's fury. Even Noah's Ark won't be able to help. You can avoid accidents. You can defend yourself against thieves and robbers. But how can you contend with Mother Nature? How do you stop her from blowing your car away? How can you prevent her from ripping the roof off your house? How are you able to avoid heavy debris crushing down on your house?

It is terrifying just imagining losing not only your home, your livelihood, but the people you love. One news story amongst hundreds of the Yasi tragedy that jump to mind and heart: The cyclone caused flash floods and storm surges in some areas. There was this young, pregnant mother who quickly ran out of her house carrying her two-year-old daughter trying to escape the deluge. Before she could gather her thoughts, she was hit by this large "wall" of water. She managed to grab onto a pole whilst holding her little girl. However, the current was so strong that it just tore her daughter away from her arms...like the grip of the Grim Reaper. In a split second, she was gone.  

This is what makes Mother Nature so terrifying. This is what Yasi did. The second picture is that of a caravan that turned over by the wind and was totally crushed.

We had our fair share of trouble. In the long-winded rain and winds, we discovered that the ceiling in our computer room is leaking. It flooded part of the room. So hubby had to climb up the roof to fix the problem. We were all worried for him as it was very wet, slippery and with gale force winds travelling at over 100km/hour, he could've been blown off the roof. Anyway, he persevered carefully and two hours later, all was fixed....well almost.

We took a drive around Darwin to see what damage Carlos has done.

1. Some fallen branches and small trees in front of our house and the neighbour's house.

2. A couple of uprooted trees in the Stuart Park school compound, just a street behind our house.

3. More uprooted trees around the Stuart Park park walkways. This is the path that I always take for my morning walks. Blocked.

4. A hardworking and very drenched traffic controller. Well, at least he gave us a big smile to brighten a somewhat glum and gloomy day.

5. The only minor casualty at Parap Primary School. The kids are relieved that there's no other damage to their school.

6. A not so lucky tree at the Parap Shopping Village. Broke away from the pavement and barely missed the laundromat. This is where the Parap Markets are held every Saturday.

7. A flooded development site. The last time we saw this, tractors and excavating machines have dug two storeys down to make way for basement carparks. Now it's just one huge "lake"!

8. Another tree bites the dust.

9. The front of Darwin Botanical Gardens......flooded.

10. Huge tree down at CBD.

11. Darwin shorelines are even more windy than in the city centre. This is what it looks like at the Nightcliff foreshore.

12. Rapid Creek Road is inundated with water and unaccessible. Residents along this road have been evacuated.

So yes, for some, these are dire scenes and very worrying.....

....while others are simply oblivious to what's happening. Oh well, one of the pleasures of being a baby.