Weathering the Storm: A Tale of Timing, Loss and Learning (Cyclone Larry‪)‬

For two years I had focused on studying the lived experience of one environmental extreme--drought; then I wandered into the aftermath of Cyclone Larry, a climatic force altogether more immediate in the wounding. But there can be serendipity in the reawakening from a bewilderment of loss. In this paper, I recount how an unforeseen experience led to delay in research--but this allowed me to witness, unexpectedly, a momentous shift in public ideas on Australian climate. **********