Larry brings destruction
Your in my thoughts Kev, Val, Kristan, Steve, Janelle,
Brian, Wazza, and Sister Lis stay safe,
and Kev answer the darn phone, please
March 20, 2006
CYCLONE Larry, the worst in north Queensland in decades, has hit the coast, tearing off roofs and destroying homes.
The most destructive part of the huge storm has made landfall near Innisfail, south of Cairns, unroofing homes with wind gusts reaching 290kmh.
The cyclone hit the coast as a level-five storm - the worst possible - but has since been downgraded to category four.
Innisfail police have been unable to leave their station to answer desperate calls for help.
They have been inundated with calls from residents whose homes are "literally crumbling around them".
"We have roofs flying off in Fly Fish Point, Silkwood and in the city centre," a Innisfail police spokeswoman said. "And we have trees across roads."
She said most of the destruction was in the regions just north-east of the town.
Police had been unable to leave the station, despite hundreds of calls for help, she said. Callers were very scared.
Innisfail Hospital director of nursing Leslie Harris said wards had been cleared yesterday to make way for possible cyclone victims.
Keep track of Larry
Satellite images
Radar images
Towns to be evacuated
Bruce Gunn from the Cyclone Warning Centre said it was one of the biggest cyclones ever seen, with Innisfail hit hard, as well as Cairns.
"We've had reports of roofs taken off, KFCs blown away, admissions to Cairns hospital. It's pretty windy around Cairns too, on the northern side of the cyclone," he told ABC radio.
"Sea levels are starting to rise too, and starting to break the banks over the highest astronautical tides."
Mr Gunn said Innisfail was in the calm of the eye of the storm now.
"The cyclone has crossed the coast over over Innisfail which is in calm conditions right now," he said. "But the other side of the cyclone is just about to pass over it so they will be getting cyclone strength winds from the other direction soon.
"Stronger winds are still persisting south of Innisfail in the Tully area (south of Cairns), where there is some heavier rainfalls, not as much heavy rainfall as you might expect, more wind-related damage."
An Innisfail resident, who gave his name only as John, told the Seven Network that many windows had blown in and about "one in every 10 roofs" had been torn off.
Another resident from Mission Beach, south of Cairns, said homes there had also suffered significant damage.
"Trees are down, there's branches everywhere," the resident, identified only as Bernadette, told Seven. "The next-door house has lost part of its roof ... my backyard is absolutely covered in branches.
"We're right in the middle of it and I'm just praying and hoping it moves fast."
Thousands of local residents were evacuated ahead of the cyclone's arrival.
The storm's wind speed, which had reached 290km/h as it moved towards the coast, eased slightly to 250km/h after it reached land.
Weather bureau forecaster Jonty Hall said conditions were terrible and warned of surging coastal tides and gale force winds along a 300km stretch of coast in northeastern Queensland.
"There's extremely dangerous conditions," he said. "We're starting to see a very dangerous storm surge come to shore ... It doesn't get much worse than this."
The weather bureau said destructive winds were occurring along the exposed coast from Port Douglas, about 50km north of Cairns, to Ingham, about 250km south.
It also issued a preliminary flood warning for coastal rivers and streams between Innisfail and Mackay.
The scale of the approaching storm yesterday prompted authorities to to declare an official disaster situation in north Queensland for the first time, even before the storm had hit.
"This is the most devastating cyclone that we could potentially see on the east coast of Queensland for decades," Counter Disaster and Rescue Services executive director Frank Pagano said.
"There is going to be destruction – we are very certain this cyclone will not peter out."
By declaring a disaster situation before the cyclone hit, Premier Peter Beattie granted police and emergency services the right to move people out of their homes. He believed it was the first time such action had been taken.
Residents along the coast from Innisfail to Cardwell have been warned to be ready to leave.
Cyclone Tracy, which wiped out Darwin on Christmas Day 1974, was a category four storm. Cyclone Katrina, which swept away New Orleans last year, fluctuated between categories three and five.
Black Hawk army helicopters were on standby in Hughenden, 375km west of Townsville, last night and both the Government and police jets were ready for disaster relief work. All commercial flights were cancelled.
"Some people will be moved and asked to evacuate – I just say to people, please comply," Mr Beattie said. "There is a threat to life and we need to be very serious about it."
PREMIER Peter Beattie declared the situation a disaster (Full story)
TOWNS are set to be forcibly evacuated ahead of the storm's path (Full story)
US navy ships have aborted a scheduled stopover in Townsville (Full story)
Link Here
Brian, Wazza, and Sister Lis stay safe,
and Kev answer the darn phone, please
March 20, 2006
CYCLONE Larry, the worst in north Queensland in decades, has hit the coast, tearing off roofs and destroying homes.
The most destructive part of the huge storm has made landfall near Innisfail, south of Cairns, unroofing homes with wind gusts reaching 290kmh.
The cyclone hit the coast as a level-five storm - the worst possible - but has since been downgraded to category four.
Innisfail police have been unable to leave their station to answer desperate calls for help.
They have been inundated with calls from residents whose homes are "literally crumbling around them".
"We have roofs flying off in Fly Fish Point, Silkwood and in the city centre," a Innisfail police spokeswoman said. "And we have trees across roads."
She said most of the destruction was in the regions just north-east of the town.
Police had been unable to leave the station, despite hundreds of calls for help, she said. Callers were very scared.
Innisfail Hospital director of nursing Leslie Harris said wards had been cleared yesterday to make way for possible cyclone victims.
Keep track of Larry
Satellite images
Radar images
Towns to be evacuated
Bruce Gunn from the Cyclone Warning Centre said it was one of the biggest cyclones ever seen, with Innisfail hit hard, as well as Cairns.
"We've had reports of roofs taken off, KFCs blown away, admissions to Cairns hospital. It's pretty windy around Cairns too, on the northern side of the cyclone," he told ABC radio.
"Sea levels are starting to rise too, and starting to break the banks over the highest astronautical tides."
Mr Gunn said Innisfail was in the calm of the eye of the storm now.
"The cyclone has crossed the coast over over Innisfail which is in calm conditions right now," he said. "But the other side of the cyclone is just about to pass over it so they will be getting cyclone strength winds from the other direction soon.
"Stronger winds are still persisting south of Innisfail in the Tully area (south of Cairns), where there is some heavier rainfalls, not as much heavy rainfall as you might expect, more wind-related damage."
An Innisfail resident, who gave his name only as John, told the Seven Network that many windows had blown in and about "one in every 10 roofs" had been torn off.
Another resident from Mission Beach, south of Cairns, said homes there had also suffered significant damage.
"Trees are down, there's branches everywhere," the resident, identified only as Bernadette, told Seven. "The next-door house has lost part of its roof ... my backyard is absolutely covered in branches.
"We're right in the middle of it and I'm just praying and hoping it moves fast."
Thousands of local residents were evacuated ahead of the cyclone's arrival.
The storm's wind speed, which had reached 290km/h as it moved towards the coast, eased slightly to 250km/h after it reached land.
Weather bureau forecaster Jonty Hall said conditions were terrible and warned of surging coastal tides and gale force winds along a 300km stretch of coast in northeastern Queensland.
"There's extremely dangerous conditions," he said. "We're starting to see a very dangerous storm surge come to shore ... It doesn't get much worse than this."
The weather bureau said destructive winds were occurring along the exposed coast from Port Douglas, about 50km north of Cairns, to Ingham, about 250km south.
It also issued a preliminary flood warning for coastal rivers and streams between Innisfail and Mackay.
The scale of the approaching storm yesterday prompted authorities to to declare an official disaster situation in north Queensland for the first time, even before the storm had hit.
"This is the most devastating cyclone that we could potentially see on the east coast of Queensland for decades," Counter Disaster and Rescue Services executive director Frank Pagano said.
"There is going to be destruction – we are very certain this cyclone will not peter out."
By declaring a disaster situation before the cyclone hit, Premier Peter Beattie granted police and emergency services the right to move people out of their homes. He believed it was the first time such action had been taken.
Residents along the coast from Innisfail to Cardwell have been warned to be ready to leave.
Cyclone Tracy, which wiped out Darwin on Christmas Day 1974, was a category four storm. Cyclone Katrina, which swept away New Orleans last year, fluctuated between categories three and five.
Black Hawk army helicopters were on standby in Hughenden, 375km west of Townsville, last night and both the Government and police jets were ready for disaster relief work. All commercial flights were cancelled.
"Some people will be moved and asked to evacuate – I just say to people, please comply," Mr Beattie said. "There is a threat to life and we need to be very serious about it."
PREMIER Peter Beattie declared the situation a disaster (Full story)
TOWNS are set to be forcibly evacuated ahead of the storm's path (Full story)
US navy ships have aborted a scheduled stopover in Townsville (Full story)
Link Here
posted by Kangaroo Brisbane Australia at 6:03 PM
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