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I liked that she was absolutely no nonsense, no bullshit. A very far cry from my old colleagues in Melbourne. And when this cyclone was over and she went back to retirement, I might even miss the company.
I thought I’d like being on my own. In Melbourne, I’d basically worked on my own anyway, and given this post was a one-person job, I was expecting to be solo.
But since I’d started, I’d had Tully with me almost every day, sorting out the office, updating the two old box screens above the dash to flatscreen TV’s, and getting familiar with the old dashboard itself. Then I’d had Doreen come to help, and... for the first time in my career, I’d actually had a co-worker that I liked, that I trusted. That I respected, and who respected me.
It was a nice change, and it reinforced that I’d made the right decision in being here.
Just after nine that morning, a white van pulled into the yard. At first I thought it was a storm-chasing van with the radar and aerials on top, but then I saw the small news logo on the door.
Great.
A woman with a terrible jacket and a microphone got out, followed by the driver who, as it turned out, was also the cameraman. I met them at the door, not knowing what to do or say and wishing to god Doreen was still here. Though the shirt she’d worn today— with a cute cat licking its paw and the wordsI lick pussyon it—would need blurring out on TV, but at least it wouldn’t have been me...
“Can I help you?” I asked, coming down the steps to meet them.
“Lindsey Ashley, Channel 4,” she said in that voice newsreaders used. “We’d like to speak to someone about the latest cyclone warning and perhaps what our viewers can expect over the next coming days.”
“Ah...” Dear god. “Well, that’d be me, I guess. I’m the only one here.”
“And you are?”
“Doctor Overton, meteorologist. However, I’m sure you can appreciate my time is best spent elsewhere.” I gestured back to the door. “This office is run manually, and I have a lot going on right now.”
“I won’t keep you long,” she said, as if I didn’t have a choice in it.
The cameraman moved to get a better angle, which was apparently closer.
A lot closer.
“And we’re rolling,” he murmured.
“Doctor Overton joins us from the Darwin Bureau of Meteorology. We thank you for your time, I understand you’re incredibly busy. We believe the initial warning alert came from this office.”
The camera trained in on me.
I tried not to be a rabbit in headlights. I kept my eyes on her and not on the camera, cursing Doreen for not being here, with her crude shirt and yappy dog.
And her baseball bat.
“Ah, yes, that’s correct,” I said.
“What can you tell us about the approaching storm? Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin in 1974, and the horrors of that are still fresh in the minds of many Darwinians. Will we see a repeat of Cyclone Tracy?”
Don’t cause panic, don’t cause panic. Just be factual.
“Tracy was a Category 4, and Hazer is shaping up to be a Category 5. The last Cat 5 we saw was Ita, which devastated parts of far north Queensland, though Ita crossed land as a Cat 4 in an unpopulated area and deflected. Hazer is expected to make direct contact with Darwin as a Category 5. We will see rainfalls of anywhere up to five hundred mils, which will cause flooding, and destructive winds of up to two hundred and twenty kilometres per hour. I’m assured there have been construction changes since the seventies to better withstand such destruction, however I would urge all residents to listen to emergency services and police. If you’re issued an evacuation order, please heed those warnings. There will likely be disruptions to essential services, so be prepared; stock up on food and water, ensure the safety of any elderly folks in your life and any pets. And if you are able to leave, I would suggest you do so.”
She stared at me before blinking a few times, seemingly to collect her thoughts. “That’s a grim warning,” she said.
I wasn’t sure which parts of what I’d said she didn’t understand. Was I supposed to sugar-coat it?
“Is there any chance the cyclone will change course?”
I resisted sighing and managed a nod instead. “As with any calculations regarding weather, there is always a chance, and I’ll be very happy to be proven wrong in this case. But as it stands now, we can expect the storm to begin its approach with torrential rain and strong wind gusts. Hazer is on track to hit Darwin in the morning five days from today. Any changes will be updated as they happen, and the public will be notified as a priority.”
A radar started to beep inside and I took that as my cue. “Thank you for your time,” I said, making it up two steps before she stopped me.
“Doctor Overton,” she said. “Can you tell us what to expect?”
