Cyclone Tracy - surviving the storm in 1974

[@designchik]

Why doesn’t this documentary have more views? It’s fabulous!

[@peteTitchener]

That's really kind of you. Thank you!

[@ChillaBlaze]

Its probably very new. Im sure there will be more views!!

[@deanhall6045]

I went through that cyclone, it was the noise that was most terrifying. I saw my wall start wobbling, then more, then extremely, and disappeared. This thankfully let the pressure out of the house and we stayed under the bed. My mate who was spending Christmas eve at our place because his parents were overseas lost his cousins, it was so sad but so exciting,.... until we got evacuated, we didn't want to go but being 14, had no choice.

[@elizabethlh7]

Very moving documentary. Having just been to the museum in Darwin for the first time I have been learning about what it must’ve been like for the people of Darwin. Thank you for sharing these stories.

[@edwardcatton1047]

was in Darwin over a Week ago?, to Pay MY Respects!, to my Father!, Les Catton, who, is R.I.P in DARWINS General Cemetery!.

[@christinejackson3922]

Thanks that was really interesting and a big thank you to the survivors of Cyclone Tracy who shared their stories

[@Matt-ui3ug]

Wonderful doco. Thank you.

[@peteTitchener]

Thank you 🙏

[@nt.fuel.truckie]

This is excellent, well done. 50 years this Christmas, we know the next one is coming, just a matter of when.

[@islandfreshman]

I was 5 years old, born and raised in Katherine, we had just spent a week on Darwin, Christmas shopping, catching up with friends. We returned home 2 nights before Tracy hit, there really was no indication that she would make it to land. We ended up having 2 families stay with us after their homes were totally destroyed. It was so surreal, absolutely devastating for many.

[@peteTitchener]

A very lucky escape indeed. Thank you for watching and taking the time to comment on my video

[@shapiro9640]

I remember this vividly, as we had just moved to Sydney on the 19. th December 1974. We had a girl who joined our school a couple of months into 1975, as she had lost her mother and father in the cyclone. There were some terrible stories we heard. Tragic.

[@peteTitchener]

Thank you for your comment. The people who lived through that terrible night must have been scarred for life. Everyone talks about the 'noise' which was unbelievable. I'm very grateful to those that were willing to share their stories with me.

[@shapiro9640]

@@peteTitchener you are welcome 😊

[@charlescostello4597]

Stunning video. Thanks for posting it. Brave, brave people! I had a priest friend who said a midnight mass at a school on the north side of Darwin and then had to drive home through flying sheets of roofing. He also described what he called an 'eerie green light' which seemed to accompany the height of the cyclone. I was interested that none of these witnesses seemed to mention that. Thanks again.

[@folkhousestudio7423]

Thank you for your kind comments Charles!

[@jonathanstrong4812]

Jesus H Christ that poor town really smashed to buggery and worst

[@NenneSez]

Wow, you jogged a memory here - I remember hearing that back in the week after Tracy but had quite forgotten.

[@Vereid]

Great video! This is such an interesting documentary! I chase storms as a hobby; while Cyclone Tracy was before my time (born in 1987), Cyclone Tracy has always been particularly terrifying/interesting to me. A storm they didn’t expect, a storm (all things considered) that was actually one of the smallest (size) tropical cyclones to make landfall, yet still had incredibly powerful category 4 (almost 5) type winds. And hitting on Christmas Eve is just surreal. Tracy’s small size is exactly what helped it intensify in the area it did, it was the perfect size to slide around Bathurst Island and slide in between the Island and the Australian Mainland while keeping its incredible intensity. I believe if Tracy would have been a larger storm, it wouldn’t have been able to intensify like it did due to land interaction. The small size was unfortunately perfect for a direct hit on Darwin. I’ve only chased 3 Tropical Cyclones in my life: Hurricane Ivan in the US in 2004, Cyclone Hamish near Mackay in 2009 (ended up being a holiday for me as it never made landfall) and finally, Cyclone Yasi near Townsville in 2011 - which finally allowed me to experience a category 5. The eye made landfall very close to where I was staying. Was another monstrous storm. You never, EVER forget the sound of the howling/screaming winds during Category 4 and 5 storms. I imagine for the more sane people (I acknowledge I’m a bit of a freak lol), it is the stuff of true nightmares.

[@peteTitchener]

Thank you for your kind comments. It is a fascinating subject and unbelievably terrifying experience to live through. Typical Aussie attitude to the warnings.... "Ahh, she'll be right..."

[@Vereid]

@@peteTitchener That’s exactly right! When I was in Townsville for Yasi I was warning the hotel owners about it - they said “oh we have dealt with many of them, it’s nothing major”. I then told them I chase storms and showed them in detail why I thought it would be bad with radar and satellite images (which it was, we were just north of Tully where it made landfall)…then all they could say was “well you’re here, let us know if we need anything panic”. I had to spend the next 20 minutes explaining that I’m a nerdy idiot who likes chasing severe weather, but most people are smarter than me and avoid these things. I’m like “I’m not telling you to outright panic…but uh….you’re going to have a category 5 head right over your area, if either of you went through Cyclone Althea (Townsville) or Tracy it’ll be worse than that if people don’t take it seriously - this finally got the attention of the wife who had bad memories of that Cyclone thankfully. I became good friends with them, but absolutely agree with the carefree attitude, which can be very dangerous. For every 5 Cyclones that don’t hit, it only takes one Cyclone Tracy or Hurricane Katrina to do catastrophic damage. Tracy in particular, having the 2 recent Cyclones (Cyclone Selma being just 2 weeks prior) that same season be warned about and have nothing bad happen unfortunately caused a lot of people to be complacent. Combine that with Christmas…

[@marionsway]

Very, very interesting documentary.

[@peteTitchener]

Thank you 🙏

[@danielelise7348]

My Mum was a pharmacist in Adelaide, when everyone piled in to buy toothbrushes,face washers,they had nothing,they had to start from scratch.🙏😔

[@johnmiller4804]

yeah i was there and had a close call but made it lots didnt it was bad it was sad it was xmas after all the memories still haunt me to this day thats all i can say am in tears again now

[@peteTitchener]

Thank you for your message. It must have been a traumatic experience for you. I can’t imagine what it would have felt like to be in the middle of the cyclone.

[@edwardcatton1047]

my DADDY!, was one of the Ones?, who didn't make it!, R.I.P TO ALL LIVES LOST!, that CHRISTMAS DAY 1974!.

[@KeepItSimpleSailor]

How Australia responded to Tracy and the destruction of Darwin was wonderful. Everyone did everything we could to assist. People took families in, gave away cars, repaired vehicles for free, went to work up in Darwin, etc. I really miss the Australia of the 60s, 70s and 80s. It was a very different place, culture and time.

[@meredithpope333]

Just listening to the siren again is too traumatic, I can’t continue with this clip , I have my own story of the cyclone and what happened to me months later when I returned to Darwin, it changed the rest of my life but not in a good way. Bless those who cleared all the destruction and rubble and made way for people to start again.

[@edwardcatton1047]

here's my 2 bob?, i was 2 years old in 1974!, my Father!, Royal Australian Navy Petty Officer Les ( Buffer ) Catton!, was sent to Darwin!, aboard the HMAS ARROW?, Stationed at Stokes Hill Wharf?,....." HE PUT UP A GOOD FIGHT!, but, TRACY WON?, flying up this Xmas!, for DADS/ DARWINS 50th Anniversary!, R.I.P to all LIVES LOST!, LEST WE FORGET.

[@edwardcatton1047]

& I MADE IT!, a Big Thankyou to Channel 9 Darwin!, who, Found Dads Grave for Me!, R.I.P to All Lives Lost!.

[@racheljennings1688]

Auckland, much of the North Island NZ is going a Cat 2 at the moment,

[@peteTitchener]

So I saw on the news. I was in Auckland at the end of October last year.

[@mnj640]

I was eight when this happened. My mums cousins were caught in Tracey they stayed with us a while after. They lost everything except their vehicle and clothes on their backs

[@peteTitchener]

That must have been terrifying. Thank you for watching my video and for your comment. I find people’s stories fascinating. Cheers, Pete

[@mralmond693]

Bruh only 500 views and 4 subs people need to direct their attention (to this channel)

[@peteTitchener]

Thank you Mr Almond. You’re very kind. Please feel free to share the link with everyone. Pete

[@carmattvidz4426]

Santa never made it to Darwin