Cyclone about to hit Australia

[TNJed]

These people are still cleaning up from the largest flood now they are facing the largest cyclone in their history.

Australians flee, jam shelters ahead of catastrophic | Reuters

CAIRNS, Australia | Tue Feb 1, 2011 7:10pm EST



CAIRNS, Australia (Reuters) - Thousands of residents fled their homes and crammed into shelters in northeastern Australia as a cyclone described as the most powerful in the country's history and with a 650 km (400 mile) wide front barreled toward the coastline on Wednesday.


"We are facing a storm of catastrophic proportions," Queensland state premier Anna Bligh said after Cyclone Yasi was upgraded to a maximum-strength category five storm.

It is expected to hit the coast on Wednesday evening, packing winds in excess of 280 km (175 miles) per hour. The weather bureau predicted it would be the strongest ever to hit Australia, Sky TV reported.

 

[GoodWitch58]

These people are still cleaning up from the largest flood now they are facing the largest cyclone in their history.

Australians flee, jam shelters ahead of catastrophic | Reuters

CAIRNS, Australia | Tue Feb 1, 2011 7:10pm EST



CAIRNS, Australia (Reuters) - Thousands of residents fled their homes and crammed into shelters in northeastern Australia as a cyclone described as the most powerful in the country's history and with a 650 km (400 mile) wide front barreled toward the coastline on Wednesday.


"We are facing a storm of catastrophic proportions," Queensland state premier Anna Bligh said after Cyclone Yasi was upgraded to a maximum-strength category five storm.

It is expected to hit the coast on Wednesday evening, packing winds in excess of 280 km (175 miles) per hour. The weather bureau predicted it would be the strongest ever to hit Australia, Sky TV reported.

Please keep my friends Jan and John and their families in your prayers and thoughts...they are in the path of this monster storm--and they have already been through so much with the floods..

 

[TNJed]

Please keep my friends Jan and John and their families in your prayers and thoughts...they are in the path of this monster storm--and they have already been through so much with the floods..

Absolutely. I have a real close friend there as well. Tragic considering they've just started cleaning up. If you're going to have a Cat5 storm I guess it's best before you rebuild?

 

[Beach Runner]

Guess whose husband just arrived there.

 

[TNJed]

Hope he's out of harm's way Beach Runner. Considering the world map of madness these days, my gratefulness of the SoWal community continues to grow. We blessed few!

 

[GoodWitch58]

"Storm surge in Townsville south of impact zone expected to be more than 7 metres. " from the email from my friend. They are bracing for the storm, it is a Cat 5...

 

[Beach Runner]

Hope he's out of harm's way Beach Runner. Considering the world map of madness these days, my gratefulness of the SoWal community continues to grow. We blessed few!

I was so relieved when I googled and found out where he is relative to the cyclone. He's south of Melbourne, and the cyclone is in northeast AU, so he's okay. It's hard to communicate when there is a 16 hour difference in time and the Internet has been down since he checked into the hotel. Can't wait to Skype!

 

[scooterbug44]

Wow - Cat 5!

I heard the Queensland area (already reeling from floods) is supposed to get 3 feet of rain!

 

[GoodWitch58]

Wow - Cat 5!

I heard the Queensland area (already reeling from floods) is supposed to get 3 feet of rain!

that is where my friends live. Not a good time for them after the devasting floods. A cat 5 is scary.

My son went through one of the strongest typhoons ever, Paka, in 1997--I was there a few days after it hit to spend Christmas with him. We did not have any power (except from generators) for the entire three weeks I was there. We had Christmas dinner at a Red Cross site, just a few minutes off from all the clean up work. It was incredible. http://www.absconsulting.com/resources/Catastrophe_Reports/TYPHOON PAKA-1997.pdf
Nature is a force to respect for sure.

 

[scooterbug44]

It sounds like the Australian government and residents did everything they could to make this a non-Katrina storm - getting people to higher ground, stocking shelters, evacuating etc.

Bad storm, lots of property damage, but so far no fatalities and few injuries being reported (though lack of power is making getting news difficult).

Hit as a 5 and is now continuing across the continent as a 2. Storm surge was also slightly less than feared.