Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi

[coldfingers]

I'm amazed too. Queensland has handed Yasi very well. I guess most just got the hell out of there!

No.actually plenty of people were still in the area. The difference is that the Aussies have the sense to listen to warnings. Also they did get warnings!!!! Cairns 'only' experienced winds gusting to 85mph but they listened to the warnings and almost everyone took shelter. (other areas obviously were much higher winds) Here in the '87 storm we had no warning and experienced winds gusting up to 110 mph on the coast. People died as they never knew what was happening.

By the way, I am not blaming anyone for '87, forecasting has moved on tremendously since '87 but people still need to realise in this country that it doesn't need a hurricane to kill you. Any storm force wind can do so, even gale force in areas not prone to gales.

Rant over. :blush:

Edited February 4, 2011 by coldfingers

[Snowangel-MK]

I guess most just got the hell out of there!

Who wouldn't when you saw that beast coming towards you !!

No.actually plenty of people were still in the area. The difference is that the Aussies have the sense to listen to warnings. Also they did get warnings!!!! Cairns 'only' experienced winds gusting to 85mph but they listened to the warnings and almost everyone took shelter.

The Troops have been deployed to clean-up the mess..

Australia has mounted its biggest domestic military operation in 30 years to help repair the widespread damage caused by Cyclone Yasi.

The category five storm, one of the biggest to hit Australia, devastated communities in the north eastern state of Queensland with winds of up to 170mph and torrential rain.

Australia's prime minister Julia Gillard said 4,000 troops are to be deployed to the clean-up operation.

A ship carrying 3,000 tons of food and other aid is due to dock in the regional coastal city of Townsville.

Despite its size Cyclone Yasi passed between Queensland's two major population centres of Townsville and Cairns to the north.

No deaths have been directly attributed to the cyclone.

Officials say this was largely because people followed instructions to either move out of the cyclone's path or to bunker down in storm-proof shelters.

The storm has however caused extensive damage.

Thousands of homes are without electricity and the high winds have shredded hundreds of millions of dollars worth of banana and sugar cane crops.

Utility services are gradually being restored and roads cleared of debris but the efforts are being hampered in many parts of the disaster zone by heavy rain.

Australia's weather bureau has issued warnings that Queensland may be affected by flash flooding.

Similar warnings have been issued in the state of Victoria where the effects of the remnants of Cyclone Yasi are predicted to bring heavy rain over the weekend.

The cyclone has added misery to a state battered for weeks by the nation's worst flooding in decades.

The floods have killed 35 people, swamped dozens of towns and caused an estimated $5.6bn (£3.5bn) damage.

...the whole thing seems to have been delt with really well, I have to say I'm very impressed with the Australian PM Julia Gillard she seems willing to take a stand on her and Australia's beliefs on many issues which is more than can be said for our government, heaven help us if anything on the scale of this disaster happened here !!

[Cookie]

This guy is nuts

[Cookie]

Took a while to be beaten

[Coast]

Australians hit by Cyclone Yasi warned to stay away from deadly giant birds

Australians trying to rebuild in the wake of Cyclone Yasi have been warned to stay away from cassowaries – huge flightless birds with claws that can disembowel a human – on the hunt for food after their habitat was destroyed by the storm.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/australia/8318367/Australians-hit-by-Cyclone-Yasi-warned-to-stay-away-from-deadly-giant-birds.html

:unsure:

[Somerset Squall]

Vicious creatures if the YouTube videos are anything to go by. Seems a bit sensationalist though.

[Cookie]

lovely they get it bad down their don't they!

[aggy]

just found this post . I actually worked in tully for 6 months in 09 when i was back packing. Had a few near misses hamish being one . However a year on and people are still getting back on there feet . Some just didnt go back at all particulary mission beach which is just beautifull or was . Any hoo were so lucky really where we live x

[aggy]

also very true about the birds big evil things x

[Liam J]

My brother was working in Tully last year when Yasi made landfall. He was evacuated and bunkered down in a school with his friends and lots of other people taking shelter. My mum was beside herself with worry and thinking all sorts as we watched breaking new reports online, especially when Tully was mentioned as being a scene of destruction. One of the guys he was with had the only mobile phone that was functioning so he phoned as soon as he could after Yasi had passed, he was on the phone about 20 seconds just to say he was absolutely fine.

He said the worse thing was the noise all around him and it was nearly impossible to communicate between other people. They went outside briefly as the eye of Yasi crossed over Tully and looking up at the stars and the damage around him it was eerily calm and quiet.

Edited January 31, 2012 by Liam J

[aggy]

wow . I know what a cat one was like couldnt imagine that . Utterly terrifying i would think . Still have local friends there and they have been through it . The banana farms just getting back on there feet now . I bet your mum was glad to hear from him x

[Styx]

This was the first time that an impending natural disaster was covered live on national television throughout Australia. It was strange to be 1500 miles away and to watch events unfold so forensically.

Every commercial network ( 3 channels ) and the ABC were broadcasting live in the hours before and after it hit land, with reporters based in towns close to where the eye of the cyclone crossed.

It was seriously overdone, eventhough it was a monster

Edited February 2, 2012 by Styx