I must thank Matt, from the Twyckwick Picklin' Social Club, in the township of Twyckwick, for the very apt title for this article.  Yes, Matt and I both agree that today, the 6th September, 2017, there is a need to say some weatherly things. Reports in today indicate that the weather is not only acting up, but is decidedly over-the-top. Where I am located in Capricornia, Queensland, it is only a few days into Spring and already the high temperatures have kicked in but down the bottom of the country we are hearing of wind, rain and snow and ice. But it is what the United States have just experienced, and is about to experience, that has occasioned this article.

I grew up in the country so I am quite used to the vagaries of the weather. Sadly, it would appear that there are plenty of people for whom what is happening now is nothing short of frightening. I'd just like to say... you'd be surprised at how you do cope when you have to. Believe it or not natural instincts do kick in and yes, you cope.

The worst two windstorms I've ever experienced were whilst living in the Blue Mountains of NSW. That would have to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth. At least it was, back then. Friends who recently visited report it as dirty, congested and full of yobbos who clog traffic so badly that it can take 10 minutes or more to get back onto the highway.

I remember hunkering down in the house and watching branches dance along the road out front as the wind proceeded to do almost a couple of million dollars worth of damage as it swept up the main street of Katoomba. Being on the outskirts and in a bushy area saved the day and even with the constant threat of bushfires and on a couple of occasions, earth tremors, I came to appreciate Nature in all her glory, be it good or bad.

Fast forward to a move to Brisbane and I learnt how much of Brisbane floods and I again appreciated Nature in relation to my own location. Watching rising floodwaters from my house on the Brisbane River certainly put everything in perspective. All was well again and I cannot re-iterate enough the need for flood searches to be done before buying a house. I know that some Lawyers scrimp on searches to save time and money but it really is in your best interest to insist that every search that is possible must be done and thoroughly done at that. No one in their right mind would buy a house in a known flood zone. What we saw recently in Texas was supposedly a one in eight hundred years event. Guess the flood searches wouldn't be real reliable in that case and our thoughts remain with those poor people over there.

Here in Capricornia we are supposedly on the tail-end of Cyclone belt. Don't you believe it. I have experienced a Category 5 and a 4 since being here. Before that I had only gone through the odd Category 1. Category 5 is what America is now facing. So here are a couple of links for preparations:

https://www.qld.gov.au/emergency/dealing-disasters/prepare-home

https://getready.qld.gov.au/natural-disasters/cyclones/

I am sure local authorities over there are giving out all the relative information but I just thought I'd share one or two things with you - do with it what you will. What concerns me is that to an outsider's eye not all American homes are built to a standard to survive disasters. The older houses I can understand, but even newer ones look questionable sometimes. Let's be honest, we are talking about a country a lot older than ours, and the fact that so many of the old houses have withstood so many challenges says a lot. Trouble is, the challenges are getting greater and they appear to be getting the upperhand these days.

What we have learnt here in Capricornia after the biggies was that solid brick or rock block houses are the best. And designs that are not in a straight line are also better than a clear path for the wind to travel along. Good iron sheeting firmly bolted down to Category 5 standard, no shingles or tiles. And if you have solar panels on your roof... just ask the folk here who were without hot water for about 4 months after the Category 5 and you'll see why solar is probably not a good idea. Sorry, but I cannot take this whole solar deal onboard after what we have experienced. The stress after a disaster is enough without not being able to have a decent shower for a good while. My house has a huge electric hot water tank and after the big one we were without power for 10 days but we had hot water for 5 days, even with two visitors. Not bad, and seeing as how it was the middle of summer it really didn't matter all that much.

You cope. Fill vacuum flasks with boiling water. We made a makeshift stove at the backdoor until we could get out and get a little gas stove. There is a brick barbecue set-up up the back yard but no one could reach it because there was debris right up to about 6 feet out from the house. Visitors from down south stayed on to help out and they were great. We had to assemble a chainsaw that Santa had brought three years prior just so we could cut a path to get out of the property.

People started talking about "cyclone eating" and some said they were losing weight and feeling a lot healthier! Most of all it was the silence and the peaceful feel to the air around us that we all soon started to notice. No Wi-Fi, no computers, no phones, and it was starting to feel... nice.

It is also a good idea to fill tubs and basins with water and fill any bottle, jar, vase, bowl or whatever too. Fill buckets for flushing the toilet. Take your trash out of the can and fill the can with water. It can at least be used for flushing. Of course, if city sewerage systems go kapput I don't know what the answer is. Buy a composting toilet or have a bucket and plenty of plastic bags handy. This is one time when a septic tank may be a godsend but with a lot of rain there is no doubt it too may overflow and come up your toilet and onto the floor.

A few years ago a friend told me something that is pure gold. He told me how to stop the toilet from rising up and that was to put some sand in a plastic shopping bag and then put that in another shopping bag for added measure and plop it in the toilet bowl. I have done this using kitty litter on three occasions now and I can fully guarantee there was not a problem. Kitty litter also serves as sandbags and is stored in the shed to be easily brought out to prevent water coming into the house.

I have already seen pictures of people boarding up glass windows and doors with chip board. Also use heaps of duct tape so as to reduce the amount of glass if a breakage does occur as the tape will stick to the glass. You can also use glad wrap and here's another one - bubble wrap. To be quick just get a spray bottle of water and spray on the glass and the bubble wrap will easily adhere to the window. You can then duct tape strategically to hold in place and you should be good. I agree with shutters and all but there is one very important concern about that and that is that it is going to increase the air pressure in your house. During the Category 5 that passed directly over here I let all the windows open and let the air flow through. This meant there was not an issue with air pressure in the house and the roof did not lift. You can either save all your windows or save your roof and I know which one I'd choose. You can still shore up windows but by leaving a big enough gap for air to get into the house you might save heaps in the long run and your insurance company will be happy.

During the actual event the noise is like a jet engine and it is scary to say the least. Here little horses were evacuated to the front verandah and dogs were in the laundry while cats were piled in the bathroom. That left the hallway in the middle of the house for the humans and seeing as how friends were visiting at the time it got a bit crowded. You learn a lot about stuff after something like this and I figure if you haven't got a basement or a safe room the best bet is a strong cupboard. Here shelves have now been taken out of two hall cupboards and at a pinch 4 people can fit in there with bottled water and energy bars to eat.

The whole deal generally doesn't last that long though. The eye of the thing passed directly over the house. There was a big wind from the coastal side initially then calm whilst the eye passed over and then there was a lot of rain and the wind doubled back from a different direction. It crossed the coast as a Category 5 and was between a 4 and a 5 when it reached here. Surprisingly, it was between a 2 and a 3 by the time it reached Rockhampton and that was more destructive, probably because so many of the buildings are really old.

All the advice is good but don't forget - buy food and water beforehand because once panic buying starts it could be difficult. Water, peanut butter and crackers and fruit cake if necessary. Whatever it takes to sustain you for a few days. No use grizzling that you are hungry and craving fillet steak in an emergency. Be sensible and don't forget your animals. There is no excuse for not coping, there is plenty of information around and you just have to get the butt in gear and do what you have to do.

Good luck and remember - just stay calm, work through it and you will be fine.