Cyclone Yasi (category 5) - Queensland about to get hit hard again

[TriBi]

I don't see any threads about this as yet. Don't know if it has hit the news overseas, but Queensland is about to get hit with Tropical Cyclone Yasi. For those who are used to the term 'Hurricane' - it is very close to the strength of Katrina.

Winds are forecast to hit approx 300km per hour, the cyclone itself (which formed around Fiji) is still moving toward the North Queensland coast at about 30km per hour. The size of the cyclone is about 500km across - with the eye itself reckoned to be around 100km wide. It should reach land within the next hour - tho' ferocious winds and driving rain have been building for several hours. Predictions have it hitting the coast between Cairns and Innisfail (the latter which suffered huge damage from the category 4 Cyclone Larry only about 5 years ago.

There have been major evacuations - including the town of Cardwell (3000 people) and the majority of the most serious patients from the main hospitals in Cairns (flown to Brisbane in an operation that involved the military). Numerous evacuation & refuge centres are accommodating people who fear they will not be safe in their homes, many have fled from the danger zone to safer locations - but many are 'riding it out'. The degree of preparation and communication has been pretty outstanding and hopefully that will minimise any potential loss of life.

For anyone who may be interested - here are some links:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/02/3128439.htm
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/env...ome-category-five-monster-20110201-1abmx.html
http://www.google.com/crisisresponse/queensland_floods.html

Fingers crossed for the folk of Far North Qld - it is likely to be extremely nasty with a lot of damage up there.

 

[SLOPPYSECONDS]

weather ans nature ans planet ans stuff a one thing alway busy constant reminder all ova

maybe one day huge amazin paradisces float arounds planet

anyway

 

[teadrinker]

Good post - I've been watching the news all day online, and some TV news this evening. The situation is quite terrifying.

The storm is of comparable size and strength to Hurricane Katrina:

Cyclone Tracy, for those of you who don't know, was a small, but intense cyclone which flattened the city of Darwin early on Christmas morning, 1974. (My cousins from there, who were visiting us down south at the time, lost everything.) Yasi is of comparable intensity, but far far bigger. Its potential for destruction is unparalleled in Australian history.

-T.

 

[Telstra]

Yasi is now category 5
and the wind gusts: 295km/hr not 250km/hr

 

[vulgar_newcomer]

Katrina was not, I repeat not a cat 5 storm upon land fall in the USA. Katrina was at her second land fall a strong cat 3 hurricane. Katrina made a landfall first in Florida as a cat 1 before moving towards the northern Gulf coast.

Katrina luckily like many big storms had matured and was weakening rather rapidly when landfall was finally made in MISS, east of New Orleans. Like a 25 yr old athlete Katrina was past her prime at 50 moving inland

Hurricane Charley in 2004 hitting SW Florida was the last powerful cat 4 hurricane to actually make a USA landfall, before that go back to 1992 Hurricane Andrew as the last landfalling cat 5 hurricane to hit the USA.

These tropical cyclones that hit Australia are very powerful.

 

[roadtripboy]

I've been watching the satellite pictures here on TV. I'm amazed by how massive the storm is.

Not much help, but my thoughts are with those affected by the storm.

 

[ChickenGuy]

Are the recent floodings, and now this hurricane, a direct effect of La Niña?

It's an interesting semi-random cycle where the warm and cold currents 'swap places' in the Pacific, bringing alternating cool and dry / warm and wet conditions to different places.

La Niña

El Niño-Southern Oscillation

A new La Niña episode developed quite quickly in the eastern and central tropical Pacific in mid-2010, and lasted at least until early 2011. This La Niña, combined with record high ocean temperatures in the north-eastern Indian Ocean, has been a large factor in the 2010–2011 Queensland floods.

 

[TriBi]

News this morning appears, fortunately, more cheerful than expected. While there is widespread damage where the eye of the cyclone hit - and it seems the banana industry has again been decimated (as it was with Larry just a few years ago) the worst of the event avoided the larger, more populated centres. It seems that Tully and Mission Beach areas bore the brunt.

Once again, it seems that incredibly good planning, preparation and constant updates of information to the locals have paid dividends. Thus far no reports of loss of life - no guarantee that will not change as more reports come in from the worst affected areas, but certainly quite promising so far.

A couple of links with more current information:
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/slideshowajax/145074/the-aftermath-of-cyclone-yasi.slideshow
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/yasi/8205143/it-is-just-a-scene-of-mass-devastation

As a personal note, I have to say that the Queensland Premier, Anna Bligh (who, as the current leader of a long term State Labour Govenment had been suffering badly in the polls before all the recent catastophic events in Qld) has shown immense organisational, management and communication skills, not to mention empathy, throughout these crises. She has been very statesmanlike in her handling of everything - a superb effort. Surrounding herself with the right people, mobilsing the military, using every available information medium to communicate to everyone in the danger areas - plus immediate follow up after the event. Admirable - she has made the Australian Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, look something of an amateur as regards her public actions re the disaster situations in Queensland and also Victoria.

 

[Jack Springer]

I've been watching. I have a friend who lives in Queensland.

Australia has had a really tough time recently. I do wish the US media would give more time to the troubles of the rest of the world.

Jeb Bush, the former Governor of Florida did an excellent job in organizing his state for the continual hits by hurricanes several years ago. I'm sure there are some lessons to be learned from him and also your Queensland Premier to handle disasters.

The one article I read today said that it was a given that there would be deaths ..... I hope the writer was wrong.

I will continue to pray for the people.

 

[swerve]

Thanks for the updates Tribi!!!

I've been worried about you guys down there...

Queensland is such a BEAUTIFUL place in photo's -- I certainly hope that the damage has done no long term damage...