Cyclone Yasi

[Theophilus]

This thing is a monster. I hope everyone down under can get through this with minimal damage, though this cyclone is almost as big as Australia.

Scary stuff.

Factbox: Australia's deadliest & most destructive cyclones | Reuters (http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/02/us-australia-cyclone-history-idUSTRE71113C20110202)

[okosh]

It's due to hit Qld coast(top right as you look at the map) late tonight(It's 8.35PM now on the east coast)....

Early forcast is for a "category 5" tropical cyclone....Hurricane Katrina was a category 4...
Some reports are suggesting it may not be as bad as first thought....

Aussie PM Julia Gillard has been in talks all day to prepare for the days after it hits....
4000 army personel are ready to move in....

Qld just went through horrendous floods in the past few weeks....

[path2prosperity]

The horror of what has happened was all over our British news this morning. I am so sorry to hear about it. It is hard to believe that it could have been much worse. I am going out to post a letter before I put on 6pm news.

I am so sorry for all those people and the animals.

[A Life Aloft]

That is devastating isn't it? A Cat V roughly the area size of Italy!! Estimates (which I am sure are way off and will certainly be much higher in the coming weeks) that the damages are around 81 billion. I have been so busy working and not watching the news at all, of late. 1,500 people have perished that they know of thus far? I have not heard a figure on injuries yet. Must be many many more. That is just awful. My sincerest condolences. There must be tens of thousands of people displaced by this horrific event. I hardly know what to say here. Peoples lives have been utterly destroyed. I hope that aid comes to the victims very quickly.

[Soapboxmom]

My heart goes out to all. We will do as always and give to the International Red Cross and Unicef. We are all one family and times like these give us all a chance to show that!

Soapboxmom

[okosh]

That is devastating isn't it? A Cat V roughly the area size of Italy!! Estimates (which I am sure are way off and will certainly be much higher in the coming weeks) that the damages are around 81 billion. I have been so busy working and not watching the news at all, of late. 1,500 people have perished that they know of thus far? I have not heard a figure on injuries yet. Must be many many more. That is just awful. My sincerest condolences. There must be tens of thousands of people displaced by this horrific event. I hardly know what to say here. Peoples lives have been utterly destroyed. I hope that aid comes to the victims very quickly.

Not sure where you getting your info from or if you even talking about Yasi :RpS_unsure:

You can get accurate info here....
| Queensland Disasters Special Report | Herald Sun (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/special-reports/queensland-disasters)

[littleroundman]

Miracle of miracles, as of 10.19am AEST, there has "only" been one definite fatality with two more people missing.

In a strange roundabout way, the devastation caused by the much smaller Cyclone Larry which struck the same region in 2006 proved to be actually beneficial in that all building done since then has had to be category 5 proof and the evacuation, early warning and preparation strategies implemented post Larry worked brilliantly in preserving life.

As well, Cyclone Yasi changed directions slightly at a critical time and missed more heavily populated regions by a hares' whisker, with damage confined mainly to property and crops.

Which is not to say the damage won't cost in the billions of dollars:

http://l.yimg.com/ea/img/-/110203/030211genyasi25_16kkpf9-16kkpff.jpg?x=450&q=80&n=1&sig=JlL1TQK9BZeYIXGZmVflww--

a banana plantation near Tully after Yasi:

http://l.yimg.com/ea/img/-/110203/gyi0063297740_16kkno4-16kknp3.jpg?x=450&q=80&n=1&sig=gEJiermRZszpBd78iU9VsA--

the main street of Tully which was in the eye of Yasi as it passed over the coast:

http://l.yimg.com/ea/img/-/110203/gyi0063300873_16kknor-16kknp3.jpg?x=450&q=80&n=1&sig=GbqMNIGwY3aMcYwJB8om.w--

Mission Beach, also caught in the eye:

http://l.yimg.com/ea/img/-/110203/1_16kk1v2-16kk1v3.jpg?x=400&q=80&n=1&sig=7G.GNF7TAvarwgxV9M8nSA--

All in all, we were unbelievably-bloody-lucky.

[A Life Aloft]

Not sure where you getting your info from or if you even talking about Yasi :RpS_unsure:

You can get accurate info here....
| Queensland Disasters Special Report | Herald Sun (http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/special-reports/queensland-disasters)Sorry, I got it off of a Reuters report, which I scanned very quickly. I misread part of the info. The info I stated about deaths was them comparing Katrina to Yasi. That's what I get for not reading more carefully. I was rushing to take a phone call. It stated that Katrina had 1,500 victims and damages in 81 billion. It's put Yasi at 3.5 billion in damages thus far. I am so glad I was wrong about the loss of life. Thanks for the correction. Cripes, what a relief, but still a terrible mess.