The short story
- Cyclones in Cairns are very rare so don’t worry too much about this.
- The Mantra Trilogy apartment complex is one of the most cyclone proof buildings in Cairns. Hence, you are very safe in the highly unlikely event of a cyclone passing right over Cairns.
The long story
A number of cyclones hit Australia every year. However, they are quite rare in each site and it is even more rare with a direct hit. A cyclone may pass nearby Cairns once every 3-7 years. A direct hit of a severe cyclone is unusual. The weather bureau will provide warnings many days before if a cyclone is approaching so it will not come as a surprise. Potential risks with direct hit of a severe cyclone:
- High winds: The Mantra Trilogy building complex is considered to be a very safe place in case of cyclones. Most exterior walls are concrete. All glass in windows and balcony doors are safety glass of the standard AS/NZS 2080.
- Debris flying like projectiles: The strong wind lifts debris. However, most debris is flying around rather low between 0-10 meters from the ground. Very little and only very small debris can be expected above 20 meters from ground level. Unit 509 is on the 5th floor approximately 15 meters above ground level. Unit 1104 is on the 11th floor around 30 meters above ground level. Hence, the risk of getting debris flying in through a window is very small.
- Flooding: A cyclone is an intense low pressure system making the nearby ocean to raise in a storm surge. Even the worst possible cyclone is unlikely to raise the ocean more than 8 meters and both unit 509 and unit 1104 are well above that. Hence, flooding will never occur at these units.
- Disruption of electricity and tap water: The Mantra Trilogy building complex is on the same electricity grid as Cairns Hospital. Hence, Power outage or disruption of water supply in this building is very rare even during bad weather. However, some precautions should be taken if the weather forecast predicts a direct hit of a severe cyclone (More about this below).
- You can’t go out for 1-3 days: This might be a bit boring but a few good books or board games might make the time fly.
Below are some advice specific for unit 509 and unit 1104 in Mantra Trilogy that might be useful in the unlikely event of a cyclone directly hitting Cairns:
- Ensure you have food and water bottles for drinking lasting for three days. Go for food that will be OK even if the fridge or freezer is temporarily out of order.
- Ensure you have a torch and batteries for it just in case there is a power outage (highly unlikely this will happen but just in case).
- Fill up the bathtub with cold water (to flush the toilets just in case there is a disruption in water supply). Ensure you have a bucket for this purpose.
- Keep all internal doors in the apartment open and ensure there is something stopping them from closing. Keep doors to bathrooms open except for the short time when you need to go there.
- Relax. You are safe.
There are some resources to keep you informed: