A monstrous category 5 cyclone is predicted to hit the north coast of Queensland tonight, and Bible Society’s Flying Bible Man David Curtis is battening down the hatches.

Bible Society’s Flying Bible Ministry plane has been chained down in preparation for the cyclone.

Cyclone Ita is stronger than Yasi three years ago and predictions are that it could ‘wipe out’ Cooktown with destructive winds of up to 300km/h predicted and up to 500mm of rainfall, with tides expected to reach up to 2m higher than high tide levels.

Bible Society shares an office with Mission Aviation Fellowship in Cairns, and the building has been sandbagged downstairs in preparation for the potential floodwaters.

Bible Society’s plane is also housed at MAF maintenance headquarters, and David reports, “Our plane is chained down at Mareeba along with MAF planes.” David says, “I considered flying the plane inland out of danger, but I would have to fly for a number of hours, separating me from my family for the cyclone’s duration. So we decided that wasn’t really an option.”

Speaking more generally of storm preparations in Cairns, David says, “There is no water left to purchase at the supermarket and there is a lonely baked bean shelf with only two tins left.” Despite the grim reality of preparations, David says light heartedly, “Water and beans appears to be a popular Cairns cyclone diet!”

Shelves empty in supermarkets as residents stock up.

Along with preparations to guard the safety of the Bible Society and MAAF planes, David also expresses concern for the indigenous community of Hope Vale, 46 km north-west of Cooktown, which is in the cyclone’s path. David explains, “The buildings are mostly built under the old building code. A lot of the buildings aren’t suited to resist the kind of winds that are expected.”

News reports are warning that any homes built before 1985 are not made to withstand a cyclone of this force. About 500 residents in the Hope Vale community are already in the Multi Purpose Centre, as police try to direct about another 600 people from their homes into the town’s safest structure. However, the Multi Purpose Centre – the strongest structure in town – was built to withstand a Category 3. Around 1500 indigenous residents face not only getting through the cyclone, but being cut off without electricity and access to help from surrounding areas following the storm. “They will potentially be isolated in their community, totally cut of,” says David.

In Cairns, David reports that people are filling their bath tubs with fresh water, as well as chaining down boats and garbage cans, and garaging their cars. “The electricity may be cut off for days after the cyclone passes,” says David. “So people are trying to set aside water to flush their toilets, as well as having plenty of drinking water ready.”