Life Behind the Lens - Cyclone Debbie 2017
Heavy Sheeting Rain, Seemingly Falling in All Directions.
Eyes squinting as the biting wind produced tears before immediately whipping them away.
Sheets of roofing metal flying up the street.
Trapped on a street corner while a Category 4 cyclone crossed over - the most intense experience I had during my career as a network news cameraman.
How and why did I end up in this situation?
Having lived in Cairns for almost 20 years and being a news cameraman for 17, cyclones were a frequent part of my life. So when I was sent to Bowen in 2017 to cover Cyclone Debbie, I was not concerned.
The one aspect that made this situation unique, however, was the prediction of Debbie crossing the coast during daylight hours.
Most recent cyclones at that point had made landfall overnight, so the news gathering process usually focused on the aftermath, destruction caused and clean up. With the entire event unfolding during the day, this was going to be a very different experience. This came with added pressure and expectation from the studio to obtain footage.
Our directive was clear - to go live whenever and however we could.
Fortunately I was paired with an experienced crew and together we formulated a plan. The night before the cyclone we scoped out a safe area where we could do live crosses the following day. It was near our hotel and we would have our backs to a strong and solid building that was 100 years old.
We had a clear view up and down the street so we could see and avoid any flying debris that may come our way. Both our hire cars were driven up onto the footpath as extra barriers. In the event that it became too dangerous for us to do our jobs we also had safe passage back to our hotel rooms.
Once the sun was up the breakfast TV show attached to our network wanted live pictures and crosses from us, and every other crew stationed up and down the coast.
Once the TV show finished, the network continued with live rolling coverage of the natural disaster. We were required to do multiple crosses during the day, while also gathering shots to use as vision overlay for our 6pm news stories.
During a break in broadcast, one of the journalists, Darren, and I moved from our safe location to try and secure a new vantage point. I left my camera in the car and only had my phone with me.
We moved to a street corner and could see the rain forming waves up and down the street. Sheets of tin roofing had ripped away and were flying past, thankfully not near us. Then we heard an almighty rip and a crack.
Our path back was now blocked.
A shade sail had ripped and was flailing around like a giant whip. It had a chain attached that was clanging violently into the ground, making it far too dangerous for Darren and I to leave.
We were stuck on the corner for the remainder of the day. While less protected than our original location, fortunately we were safe and had overhead cover from the rain.
Despite being stuck, we were still able to file for the rolling coverage. I had an app on my phone that enabled me to send live footage back to the newsroom.
What am I doing here?
Although I didn’t have my broadcast camera, I was still able to get great shots of rain, wind and debris flying around. Eventually my phone battery died and we knew we had to get back to the other crew.
We made a run for it.
There was a slight break in wind speed and so we ran into the street, well away from the flailing shade sail, and made it back to the other crew.
We were extremely lucky and I am well aware of how devastating an alternate outcome could have been. There were moments when I was standing on that corner, thinking about my family and asking myself “What am I doing here?"
My wife, who knows the expectations and demands of the network and my propensity for doing anything I can to get a good shot, said to me before I left for this cyclone: “Be safe, don’t do anything stupid.”
I have been in many exciting and thrilling situations during my career, but there does become a point where you begin to question if the risk is worth it for a TV news story. It wasn’t long after this that I began to consider branching out on my own. Now I have swapped the thrill of an adrenaline charged news chase for the buzz of a delighted client when they see their vision come to life. In many ways - much more rewarding.
For further insight into Life Behind the Lens, read about my experience dashing to South Korea at a moment’s notice or working at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
