Rabbit Year.....or not

I had a post in mind for today.
I planned on rabbiting on about how we are now in the Year of the Rabbit.
I planned on googling Year of the Rabbit, finding out what's good and bad about being a Rabbit, what Rabbits can expect in their year.

But here's a change of plan.

Last night I spent quite a bit of time text messaging with my niece.
About cyclone Yasi.

My niece, G, was worried about her mum, (also a G), who lives in Tully, QLD.
In the direct path of the cyclone.

Oh boy!!

I didn't know G's mum very well, she was my brother's girlfriend briefly way back when. Maybe a bit longer than briefly, I don't really remember.
(I suck at keeping in touch.)

Anyway, G sent me a message saying her mum was in danger there, and by tomorrow, (which is now today), her mum could be dead and that thought was scary.
I asked could she not leave? and G said it was already too late. Her mum was huddled up in her bathroom in her tiny little house until the storm was over.
At that point I said I'm not a praying person, but I'll send one up.

Early this morning, about 4am, I had a new message from G saying the worst of the storm had passed and her mum is okay.

Then I went back to sleep.

But earlier last night and most of today, I got to thinking about going or staying, if such a disaster were to come our way, down here in Adelaide.

If Ihad enough warning that a cyclone was approaching, I would definitely get out of harm's way.
Depending on how much warning I had, I'd pack up everything I possibly could and head on out, to Port Pirie where my sister lives. She wouldn't be happy to see me, but the town has a cheap motel.
If I had less warning, I'd pack up what was most important to me, and get out of harm's way.

I don't see myself staying, just because all my things are here. If there's any chance at all that I could be killed by staying, then it's my choice to leave. As quickly as possible. Even if it's only to an evacuee centre set up by whoever does those things.

So now I'm wondering, just how much warning did these people get?

A paragraph in today's paper said the staff at a Dunk Island Resort had a week's warning and apparently were not given the option of leaving. Not Given The Option!!
Guests were flown to safety, but staff did not get the same option.
That seems wrong to me.

If the resort had fair warning, then I'd think the residents of the rest of QLD did too.
Now, QLD has survived quite a few cyclones, it's a tropical area, cyclones are part of the weather pattern, you build accordingly and hope for the best. But most of the cyclones fall into category one or two, by my understanding.

Yasi, on the other hand was listed as category five. FIVE!! That's one heck of a storm.
Something like that coming my way? I'd get out of there.

In a completely different situation, for instance if that cyclone hit very suddenly, out of nowhere, with no warning, I'd be thinking differently of course. I'd be packing all my most important treasures into suitcases and stashing them in the safest room in the house. Along with myself of course. I've no idea what room that is, but I'm sure people in charge would let others know.
Probably the built in wardrobe in my room. Empty it of clothes and stash myself and my treasures in there.

I discussed most of this with my daughter K, in between texts from G, and she agreed that, given fair warning, the sensible thing to do is leave. Stay alive.

I can understand people loving their homes and all their things, I love all my things too, but given a choice between living or possibly dying, I'll choose to live. Because I can always start over.

Somewhere else.