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Thursday, February 3, 2011

Storm surge scare: residents told 'all clear'



'Very heavy rainfall' heading inland

Weatherzone meteorologists predict a continued pattern of high winds and heavy rainfall as Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi works its way towards Mt Isa.

Cairns residents who fled their homes before Cyclone Yasi have been given the green light to return.
The city avoided the worst of category five Cyclone Yasi  but there were fears about the storm surge on today's 9.30am (AEST) high tide.
A storm surge sea wave breaks over an embankment in the Townsville suburb of Rowes Bay.
A storm surge sea wave breaks over an embankment in the Townsville suburb of Rowes Bay. Photo: Getty Images
Yasi crossed at Mission Beach, south of Cairns, about midnight as a category five. Mission Beach, Tully and Cardwell bore the monster storm's full force.
A Cairns Council spokeswoman said people were asked to stay away from all esplanades, foreshores and beachfront areas until at least 1pm (AEST) on Thursday.
Because of the surge, the city's evacuation centres were kept in lockdown, but thousands of people have now been given the okay to leave.
Anna Bligh ... says there are no reports of lives lost.
Anna Bligh ... says there are no reports of lives lost. Photo: Glen Hunt
Authorities are still surveying the damage around Cairns and residents are urged to stay off the roads over the coming days to keep them clear for emergency services, police say.
Mayor Val Schier earlier told Fairfax Radio that Cairns had been well prepared and had escaped major damage.
"There's debris down and branches and trees and the power is out but relative to our friends down south, we've been unscathed," she said.
A man works to repair damage to the roof of his house while his dogs inspect a fallen tree in Kamma on February 3.Click for more photos

Yasi hits north Queensland

A man works to repair damage to the roof of his house while his dogs inspect a fallen tree in Kamma on February 3. Photo: AP Photo/Rick Rycroft
  • A man works to repair damage to the roof of his house while his dogs inspect a fallen tree in Kamma on February 3.
  • Scott Torrens and his children survey the damage after Cyclone Yasi tore the roof off their house in Mourilyan on February 3.
  • A road sign on the Bruce Highway is bent after Cyclone Yasi tore through Innisfail on February 3.
  • The main street of Ingham on February 3.
  • The main street of Ingham on February 3.
  • Damage to buildings caused by Cyclone Yasi in Mission Beach on February 3.
  • A storm surge sea wave breaks over an embankment in the suburb of Rowes Bay after the passing of Cyclone Yasi on February 3 in Townsville.
  • High winds and rain push a swell onto the Esplanade in the aftermath of Cyclone Yasi in Cairns on February 3.
  • A local clears debris in Badinda on the Bruce Highway on February 3.
  • A caravan park damaged in Innisfail after Cyclone Yasi on February 3.
  • A man views a fallen tree in Cairns on February 3 after Cyclone Yasi hit.
  • A police officer waits on the edge of floodwaters over the Bruce Highway in Innisfail on February 3.
  • Damage to buildings caused by Cyclone Yasi in Mission Beach on February 3.
  • Residents trying to get back to Mission Beach and Tully wait while Liverpool Creek floods across the Bruce Highway on February 3.
  • A local clears debris in Badinda on the Bruce Highway after Cyclone Yasi on February 3.
  • A house in Mourilyan, south of Innisfail, damaged by Cyclone Yasi on February 3.
  • A house in Mourilyan broken in half by Cyclone Yasi on February 3.
  • Flood water caused by Cyclone Yasi block the main road between Innisfail and Tully on February 3.
  • A damaged road sign is seen laying on its side after the passing of Cyclone Yasi on February 3 in Townsville.
  • A destroyed wind turbine on Townsville's 'Strand' after it was knoocked over after the passing of Cyclone Yasi on February 3.
  • Fallen trees lay across power lines in Townsville on February 3.
  • A fallen tree is seen laying across a street after the passing of Cyclone Yasi on February 3 in Townsville.
  • A damaged playground after the passing of Cyclone Yasi in Townsville on February 3.
  • A fallen tree is seen laying on over power lines side after the passing of Cyclone Yasi on February 3 in Townsville.
  • The roof of a destroyed house lies on the road in front of it in Innisfail on February 3.
  • Debris on a street after the passing of Cyclone Yasi on February 3 in Townsville.
  • Debris on a street in Townsville after the passing of Cyclone Yasi on February 3.
  • A destroyed wind turbine on Townsville's 'Strand' after it was knoocked over after the passing of Cyclone Yasi on February 3.
  • Flood water caused by Cyclone Yasi blocks the main road between Innisfail and Tully on February 3.
  • Minor flooding from a storm surge covers a road after the passing of Cyclone Yasi on February 3 in Townsville.
  • A sea wave breaks over a footpath after the passing of Cyclone Yasi on February 3 in Townsville.
  • Fallen vegetation lays on the footpath on the 'Strand' on February 3 in Townsville.
  • Damaged palm trees are seen after the passing of Cyclone Yasi on February 3 in Townsville.
  • Banana crops lay damaged on February 3 in Innisfail.
  • A Townsville resident is seen taking photos of the city's Strand area after the passing of Cyclone Yasi on February 3.
  • A mailbox lies on the ground next to a destroyed house in Innisfail on February 3.
  • Strong winds are seen hitting a section of Townsville's Strand area on February 3.
  • A farm shed under water next to a ruined banana plantation near Innisfail on February 3.
  • Buildng debris on street in Townsville on February 3.
  • A man removes destroyed awnings outside a supermarket in Innisfail on February 3.
  • Strong winds are seen hitting a section of Townsville's Strand area on February 3.
  • Bryson Jelfs, 9, next to an uprooted tree in centre of Ayr, south of Townsville, on February 3.
  • Bryson Jelfs, 9, and his grandfather Dennis, next to an uprooted tree in centre of Ayr, south of Townsville, on February 3.
  • A banana plantation lies in ruin near Innisfail on February 3.
  • Phil Biscow removes destroyed awnings outside a supermarket in Innisfail on February 3.
  • A palm tree ripped out of the ground at Home Hill, south of Townsville, on February 3.
  • Cyclone damage in the main street of Home Hill on February 3.
  • Trees thrown down in the Cairns CBD as Cyclone Yasi hit about 12.15am on February 3.
  • Wind picks up in the Cairns CBD as Cyclone Yasi approached about 11pm on February 2.
  • A satellite image obtained from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory shows Cyclone Yasi making landfall late on February 2.
  • In this handout MTSAT satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration, Yasi hits land late on February 2.
  • Guests at the Shangri-La hotel line up to gather in the ballroom in Cairns on February 2.
  • Guests at a the Shangri-La hotel huddle in the ballroom in Cairns on February 2.
  • Hundreds of frightened residents fill the evacuation centre in the old Town Hall as catatrophic cyclone Yasi approaches Innisfail on February 2.
  • Winds pick up at the Townsville Strand.
  • Bats fill the air of the deserted central business district as winds increase in Cairns.
"We're hoping that the airport will be open in a couple of hours. They'll do a clean-up of the runway and we'll be open for business very soon."
Premier Anna Bligh says the tourist city could be running close to normal within 24 hours, with its evacuated hospitals making plans to re-open.
Police advised Cairns residents not to go sightseeing, check on neighbours who stayed home and not to use electrical appliances that got wet until they have been checked for safety.

View Yasi strikes land in a larger map
People should boil or purify drinking water until the supply is declared safe, stay away from fallen trees and powerlines and flood water and contact the council for assistance if their home has been damaged.
If their home appears to be structurally damaged they should not enter, police say.
 Prime Minister Julia Gillard has urged far north Queenslanders to not let their guard down, saying the storm is still dangerous.
"Surging tides, powerlines that are down, flooding danger and there are some parts of Queensland that are bracing for the cyclone to come across land and to still hit," she told reporters in Canberra.
"People cannot let their guard down yet. The danger is not over."
Banana crop hit
Shoppers again may be forced to fork out up to $13 a kilo for bananas after early predictions more than 90 per cent of Australia's banana crop was wiped out by Yasi.
It will almost certainly impact on prices, National Farmers Federation president Jock Laurie said.
There had been no reports of any deaths or serious injuries as a result of Cyclone Yasi, she said, and Cairns had been spared the worst. But the smaller communities of Mission Beach, Tully, Tully Heads, and Cardwell were bearing Yasi's full force.
The category five Yasi crossed the coast at Mission Beachabout midnight (AEDT). It was early this morning downgraded to a category three and is still considered dangerous.
Power off
She said about 175,000 people were without power, after the cyclone hit major transmission lines and restoring supply would be a major priority.
"Potentially there's quite a lot of structural damage to essential services," she said.
Ms Bligh said restoring electricity was critical.
"We've got significant power outages all the way along the coast down to Proserpine and Airlie Beach hundreds of kilometres away from the eye of this storm," she said.
"The early news is not anything like I expected to hear this morning from a category five cyclone, I do stress in many cases we are yet to see any assessments."
Ms Bligh said six people, aged in their 60s, who were trapped in a unit at Port Hinchinbrook overnight were safe and well this morning.
"I'm very pleased to advise they're safe," she said. "I'm sure they had a tough night."
The first assessment of the town of Tully had 90 per cent of the main street "extensively damaged". Support is expected to reach the town today.
Ms Bligh said news of a birth in a Cairns evacuation centre would bring a much needed lift to people's spirits.
"In the midst of all of this devastation, new life in some very touching circumstances," she said.
"I'm sure it will bring a lot of smiles to faces in that centre today after such a difficult and distressing night."


AAP
Posted by Bulat Dusun at 2/03/2011 11:10:00 AM
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