You have to realize that Queensland is five times the size of Texas and the area effected is half the state.
My heart goes out to all Letterheads, friends and family up north. Be safe.
Posted by Rick Sacks (Member # 379) on :
Jon, have you ever been through a storm of this magnitude? I sure haven't.
Posted by Duncan Wilkie (Member # 132) on :
The dread of waiting must be horrid. Here's a link to more info... Cyclone Yasi
[ February 02, 2011, 12:01 AM: Message edited by: Duncan Wilkie ]
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
There have been mass evacuations, pets included, and a lockdown of the roads in anticipation. I believe all coastal hospitals have been emptied too. 7 metre coastal water rises above the high-tide mark are being expected. Aeroplanes have all left that part of the state.
They say most cyclones (hurricanes to you in north America) are 150-220 km diameter, but this is around 1000 km across.
Catgeory 5 is as bad as the ratings get. We can only pray they're wrong...in terms of windspeed, area, and devastation ability, they're saying it's comparable with Katrina.
[ February 01, 2011, 11:59 PM: Message edited by: Ian Stewart-Koster ]
Posted by Jon Butterworth (Member # 227) on :
All movement on 1000km of coastline has ceased due already high winds. All the Category 5 shelters are full and I'm afraid many more people will be caught out despite the early warnings.
Talked to our son and grand daughters just now. They are 100 km inland of Townsville and have battened down the hatches expecting Category 3 storm by the time it hits them tonight.
Scary stuff!
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
This website news of it shows it in a different perspective-pretty big...
Posted by bill riedel (Member # 607) on :
Jon, we will be praying for all of you, it looks about as bad as it could possibly get. Find the best place to hide out. Bill
Posted by Sonny Franks (Member # 588) on :
You guys OK down there?
Posted by Adrienne Pereira (Member # 1046) on :
Jon I've been thinking of you, I'm relieved your not in the path of the worst of it. Will be praying for you and your family. Please keep us posted and check in when you can. A:)
Posted by David O'Hanlon (Member # 2754) on :
Crossed last night and amazingly missed the major population centres. FNQ has held up very well to the battering. Banana crop is flat.
Posted by David Fisher (Member # 107) on :
Fatalities: 0 Births: 3
I'd call that a Win.
Edited to add: It's now roughly a little short of a quarter of the way across the continent and still categorised as a category 1 (lowest) cyclone. That is unprecedented
[ February 03, 2011, 04:18 AM: Message edited by: David Fisher ]
Posted by Deb Fowler (Member # 1039) on :
170 mph winds, at least they all got out; the aftermath has to be the worst part, am following your post, Bushie, didn't see it. My prayers are with you and your beautiful country, your families and your lives.
Posted by Ian Stewart-Koster (Member # 3500) on :
They're saying one fatality- a poor fellow died from carbon moonoxide poisoning after running his diesel generator in a closed room all night while sleeping-or some similar story. The truth will unfold eventually, but diesel fumes are a different thing from petrol fumes.
I know of many people, my brother-in-law & hisd family who went about 250 km west & stayed in a motel there for two days to be out of range of the eye. That worked for them-and many others who following on the footsteps of the flooding, took to heart the message to evacuate fast.
