Ernie Woods was six when he experienced his first cyclone.
Now, at 82, the lifelong Home Hill resident has sought refuge at the Ayr showgrounds as he prepares to endure his ninth: Cyclone Debbie.
Mr Woods told AAP he decided to leave his north Queensland home even though his wife chose to stay.
"I'm on blood thinners and if I get cut I'm dead," he said on Monday morning.
Mr Woods came equipped with just a camping chair, thermos, tuna and biscuits because that's all he thought he could bring.
He said he was prepared to stay for as long as it took for someone to come and collect him.
Mr Woods said Category 4 Cyclone Aivu was the worst one to hit Ayr, back in 1989.
But the senior citizen said he would never forget walking arm-in-arm with his parents up the street in 1940 as he experienced his first cyclone as a six-year-old.
"Dad said 'the house is gonna go, we better go downtown to the pub'," he said.
"It was cracking us like a whip."
Mr Woods said the publican didn't want to let them in but eventually did.
"When the flood came dad had to swim home and bring us food, he wouldn't give us nothing," he recalled.
