Tropical Cyclone Narelle Triggers Chaos as Residents Seek Shelter in Boats, Containers and Bunkers

Impact of Tropical Cyclone Narelle

Tropical Cyclone Narelle has caused significant damage as it moves across Cape York in Far North Queensland. The storm has left a trail of destruction, with many residents taking shelter in bunkers, boats, and other safe locations. Some have described the category three system as sounding like a “freight train” as it passed through the area.

Debbie Cameron is at the Archer River Roadhouse, north-west of Coen, along with two others. She described the scenes outside as “pretty wild.”

“There’s just devastation everywhere,” she said. “We’re looking out the windows and things are flying through the air, it’s really crazy; there’s crashes and bangs. The Archer River is right up and right into our campground … all our big trees have upturned. The wind is just making this horrible noise, but we’re safe in our house so that’s the main thing.”

Ms Jackson mentioned that they were anxiously waiting to see what would happen if it flooded.

“We don’t know where the water’s going to go because of all the new roads, and the new bridge being constructed differently,” she said. “It’s coming up and it’s coming up quickly.”

A Sleepless Night on the Water

Fisherman Chris Bolton weathered out the cyclone as far up the Marrett River as he could drive his 14-metre aluminium commercial barramundi fishing catamaran Shokunin. The boat was secured by 10 ropes to 10 trees, rather than anchors. Four of his crew were also aboard: his dad Wayne, uncle Gary, a cousin, plus mate Josh Fallows.

“Everyone was a bit nervous and didn’t really know what to expect … it was a pretty sleepless night for everyone,” he said. “I’m not sure if my family will want to come fishing with me anymore after this. But everyone knew that it was a very serious situation and there was no time to play around.”

Mr Bolton said they had been keeping an eye on the tropical low last week, but it was too late to outrun it by the time its severity was confirmed. They declined to return to Cooktown as they feared strong headwinds and a possible breakdown.

“We would have been stuck in the middle of nowhere with no protection with a cyclone bearing down on us,” he said. “The last option was to find a really good place to bunker down up here. At one stage, the wind was coming from the south-east and it completely stopped. Within 5 minutes, it swung 180 degrees and it started coming from the north. So we were fairly close to the eye of it.”

Mr Bolton said he used his local knowledge to get them through.

“We spent a day picking out a spot running up and down creeks and rivers,” he said. “It had to be in a certain part of the creek that was where the boat would be facing the right direction for the wind.”

Shelter in a WWII Bunker

Meanwhile, at Portland Roads, charter fishing boat skipper Tilly Rehn is riding out the storm in a World War II-era bunker. She’s one of a tiny 10 person off-grid former naval port community, about 20 kilometres north-east of Lockhart River.

“I’m feeling a little bit nervous, it will be scary and a massive clean-up afterwards but we’ve got a really good little community here. I’m quite grateful that we are off-grid, because we have everything that we need to survive right here with us. If we don’t have something, our neighbour has something.”

Ms Rehn said her neighbour’s bunker has survived past cyclones, so she felt it was the safest place to stay.

“It’s about 6 metres by 4 metres, it has one door and a little lookout hole. It’s not underground, but it’s solid and it’s been standing for decades. It’s really thick concrete and that’s my secure place.”

Preparing for the Aftermath

At Upsan Downs, north of Coen, Debbie Jackson said the wind had been roaring outside her property, which has already lost a shed roof and unleaded fuel tank.

“Our generator shed looks like it might go,” she said. Ms Jackson said she and her kids were staying inside shipping containers until the system lulled.

“We’ve got one who [sic] is cemented in so we may all end up in that one,” she said.

Hundreds of residents across the far north have already lost power, with authorities now warning about expected ongoing rain and fast rising river levels. According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the system could be downgraded to a category two within hours.