It's Cyclone Season: Commentary and Facts

As I sit at my computer writing this on Friday 20th February 2015 I am also watching the tv keeping updated on the two cyclones currently battering the Australian coast. Cyclone Lam (category 4) crossed the Northern Territory coast at Milingimbi, Arnhem Land at approximately 2am, and of more concern to myself is Cyclone Marcia (category 5) that crossed the Central Queensland coast at Shoalwater Bay at about 8am and is moving south.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned Queensland and NT residents a couple of days ago to batten down and make cyclone preparations as damaging winds, rain and flash flooding were imminent. Many of the areas and towns in the cyclones' paths are still recovering from severe flooding that they suffered only two years ago. It is most likely that Ballogie, where I live, will be cut off and isolated from the outside world as has already happened twice before since I have lived in the area. Last time we were stranded in Brisbane for a week, with our animals trapped at home.

These climatic conditions are one of the reasons for writing this. Another, and equally as concerning was a forum post I read from one of my hubber friends this morning "Goodbye Everyone, Aneegma has left the building!"

Many of you may know Aneegma and her situation, but if you don't I will expand on that later in the hub.

Cyclones are characterised by strong continuous winds of more than 63 km/h. Once those winds reach 118 km/h the cyclone is classified as severe.

Cyclones by the following criteria:

CATEGORY 1
Strongest winds: Gales, 90 - 125 km/h

CATEGORY 2
Strongest winds: Destructive, 125 - 164 km/h

CATEGORY 3
Strongest winds: Very destructive,165 - 224 km/h
.
CATEGORY 4
Strongest winds: Very destructive, 225 - 279 km/h
.
CATEGORY 5
Strongest winds: Very destuctive, more than 290 km/h

TROPICAL CYCLONES: are intense, spinning storm systems, with low-pressure centres that can be vast in size. They form over warm oceans and can wreak havoc when they approach the shore.

As the names suggests, tropical cyclones and hurricanes occur in the tropical areas of the world. They require a difference in rotation speed of the Earth at different latitudes to gather momentum as they spin, and they can form either side of the equator.

These storm systems are called cyclones in the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific around Australia, hurricanes in the Atlantic and eastern Pacific,and typhoons in Southeast Asia.

(source: Australian Geographic)

Two weeks ago a friend of mine, Aneegma, experienced a storm of her own and wrote this forum post:

Who messed with my hubs??!!

"I haven't been very active on hubpages but occasionally I log in to check how my articles are doing. Today I was gobsmacked to see that three of my star articles have been edited and the traffic for these hubs has plummeted and for the first time in 13 months I didn't make the payment cut for this month!

Is hubpages now just editing articles without telling us first?? To be honest I prefer my own writing as that's how people engaged with me. These "professionals" have driven away my audience and I'm not happy purely because my earnings have dropped and my traffic has died.
Can someone explain to me what's going on please?

Thank you!"

Replies on this forum advised Aneegma about the "HubPro Beta" editing program introduced by Hub Pages to improve the quality and searchability of best performing hubs on the site.

Aneegma then asked how she could change her hubs back to their original format. Writer Fox, Cardissa and other hubbers offered helpful advice and Aneegma was eventually able to convert her hubs back to the original, "I GOT MY HUBS BACK UP! YAY!!"

But unfortunately her traffic has not returned to anywhere near what it was before her hubs were edited, resulting in Aneegma's unfortunate decision to leave Hub Pages as follows:

"Goodbye Everyone! Aneegma has left the building!!"

"Hi everybody

I've noticed that ever since I had this incident my hubs have completely gone down the tank.
I'm not getting views any more, my highest earning hub before literally has zero views this last week. Four of my other high performing hubs have been un-featured and I've even lost followers so I have completely lost interest in doing articles for hub pages......."

What is so disturbing about this all is that about seven months ago Aneegma was on top of the world and posted this in a forum:

"Hub Pages just paid me $758 today!!!

Wow wow wow! I just love getting emails from hubpages!

I was gobsmacked when I got my payment from hubpages today and it state $758.17! I thought it was a mistake so I went into my earnings pages and discovered eBay has been very good to me this month!! I'm yet to earn from amazon but hubpages program and eBay are proving a hit this month for me. This is the largest amount I've ever earned on here so I'm a happy camper!
So thank you hubpages!! I'm going shopping now and drinks on me for all my friends here!!

Thank you all! "

It is so sad that someone who was enjoying writing here at Hub Pages so much and excited about how much she was earning has changed their opinion so suddenly. I realise a lot of people who have had their hubs edited by HubPro editors are happy with the results.However Hub Pages should never go ahead and edit any hubs without the author's specific permission. The fact Aneegma was away and not even aware of the program proves that she was not consulted. I realise that Hub Pages have to do everything they can to continue improving the site and make it successful and viable in the eyes of Google but if it's programs result in the loss of even one valuable hubber, like Aneegma, they need to be reviewed.

Aneegma has been a great friend to me and a supporter and promoter of my writing here at Hub Pages. The least I can do is to bring her sad situation to the attention of others. I am sure she is not the first and won't be the last writer who becomes disgruntled by HubPro editing of their hubs. I hope I am wrong an this is an isolated case. I did have links here to all Aneegma's forum posts but they have all been deleted. I was worried she'd already closed her account. At least her profile is still up, so maybe I was just in time writing this.

I hope Aneegma has a change of heart and stays as a member of Hub Pages, even if she wants to try the waters elsewhere as well. I do however understand if she chooses otherwise.

"Thank you Aneegma for what you brought to Hub Pages."

News reports state that there has been some damage to homes and structures, extensive power outages, and numerous trees uprooted. All beaches along the East Coast of Queensland are closed and residents of towns in the cyclones' path are being told to remain indoors. Many rivers are expected to flood if the cyclone moves across land slowly. If it picks up speed and passes over quickly severe flooding may be avoided. No deaths or injuries have been reported.

Due to the king tides and surges turtle eggs from beach nests at Burnett Heads and other areas are being relocated.

Cyclone Lan has just been downgraded to Category 2, however Elcho Island (aboriginal community)has suffered extensive damage. Cyclone Marcia is now still category 4 as I write, but it's heaviest rain is still on the way.

I am high and safe at home with my animals, dogs, cats, chickens, turkey, and won't be going anywhere until the storm has passed. Just have to wait and see if we get cut off from the rest of the world, and hope we don't lose power.