Freak Storm

At 3pm on Saturday the 29th of January 2011 we were suddenly hit with a very strong storm. Most of WA were watching Cyclone Bianca, which we were not concerned about, we saw a few reports in the morning telling people in the suspected path to take precautions. We starting to watch some DVD's and chilled out in front of the TV, it was about 40 degrees so we had the house darkened and aircons going. My parents are staying with us atm and mum had popped down the shops to get a few bits of shopping, when she got home she raced inside and told us all to come outside quickly we need to see something. This is what we saw:



We thought we had a minute or two to move the cars from under the tree and let the dog off the chain. My dad jumped in his car, moved it to face into the wind and wound the windows up, DF jumped in the work ute and back it up to the house and ran over to let his dog off to bring her inside, he didn't get there... the branch on the tree crashed down and everything went black, we also lost our power. Looking out our back door into the storm:




I just got inside with the two kids when the dog bolted inside with her chain still attached, thankfully she had broken the line she was on and was able to get out of the storm. When she bolted inside she got her chain wrapped around Tristan I managed to grab hold of her and comfort her while trying to release the chain, I yelled out to mum who came running in, she slipped and fell down the step badly hurting her ankle (at first we though it was broken) in her agony she managed to let the dog off who bolted. Mum, the kids and I then made our way to the bedroom where we shoved the kids under our bed and I grabbed a bag of peas for mums ankle. It was about that time when the roof started to peel back and fly off. Soon after the first piece of roof went DF managed to get back inside, about a minute or so later and the rest of our roof went. The rain started pouring in and we started to flood in the kitchen, bathroom, kids room, dining room and laundry/toilet. It was about then that the ceiling in the kitchen collapsed.




It continued to rain and we rushed around to save all the important things, paperwork, medicines and grabbed clothes into a suitcase. Meanwhile the two boys stayed under our bed with my mum laying on the ground next to the bed comforting them.We managed to grab the essentials and then the rest of the ceiling in the kitchen came down.




By this time the wind had settled a bit and we started to organise everyone, mum was taken off to hospital and the rest of us loaded everything we could into the car and took the kids up to another house on the farm (about 500 metres up the road, which had only minimal damage) which we were going to be moving in to within a few weeks anyway, so thankfully it was empty. I had started to move a few bits and pieces in too, some of the kitchen things were already here as well as some of the kids toys.

Our roof in the paddock next to the house, other parts had been taken about 1-2kms away across the paddock:



Our bathroom, the following day:



It was a terrifying event, the past few days have really tested us all, but we've got through it and we are stronger because of it. As much as the whole thing sucked, I believe it happened for a reason, it happened for the better. We didn't lose a whole lot, and we are insured, no-one was seriously injured and we got a lot of help that day to move us out. We are financially better off in this house and the kids are so much happier too, there is a lot more room for them here.