Famous Old Painter Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 I'm watching it happen on TV as we speak. This is surreal and frightening. I really feel for the Queenslanders. With everything that's been going on I'm not even sure there'll be a Queensland left by 2012. :\ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoebeo Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 I hope that the Australien people all are okay. Its kind of wierd, cause I'm here, home in Denmark, while I'm aware of the things that is happing on Australia. :/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobalt Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 There's about 30-45 minutes I think until the cyclone comes charging down on northern QLD... watching the threat map and the live ABC news feed now, pretty scary stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Famous Old Painter Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Indeed. So glad I decided to stay in Adelaide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoebeo Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 live ABC news feed[/url] now, pretty scary stuff. Thank you for the links. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deaths_friend Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Broadcast webcam of a guy streaming from his apartment block in the heart of cairns. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobalt Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 15 minutes until it hits* Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobalt Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 Cyclone Yasi's eye has made landfall at Mission Beach (in the middle of Innisfail and Ingham) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Famous Old Painter Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 This is about to get bad. Really bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phoebeo Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 BTW: Nancy, I think that it's really awesome that you, as a Dane, is writing all this down, even though you are far away. :thumbsup: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deaths_friend Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 http://www.ustream.tv/channel/cyclone-yasi-townsville townsville is being hit hard :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deaths_friend Posted February 2, 2011 Share Posted February 2, 2011 http://www.ustream.tv/channel/cyclone-yasi-townsville townsville is being hit hard :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 BTW: Nancy, I think that it's really awesome that you, as a Dane, is writing all this down, even though you are far away. :thumbsup: Thanks. As I write this, Queensland is going through this ordeal. The Queenslanders are in my thoughts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 2, 2011 Author Share Posted February 2, 2011 NEWS ON 2.2.11 IN RELATION TO AUSTRALIA NEWS ON 2.2.11 IN RELATION TO AUSTRALIA http://news.discovery.com/earth/cyclones-attacking-australia-110201.html TROPICAL CYCLONES ATTACKING AUSTRALIA Feb. 1, 2011 -- Tropical Cyclone Yasi, recently upgraded to a category 5, the highest level of threat, is bearing down on Queensland Australia and the Great Barrier Reef with wind speeds likely exceeding 175 mph. Heavy precipitation resulting from a combination of Tropical Storm Tasha in late 2010, monsoon rains, and the strongest La Niña to hit the planet in 35 years – have inundated the region with floods deep enough for sharks to visit. Airport evacuations from Cairns and neighboring cities have been ongoing over the last several days. Cyclone YASI follows on the heels of Tropical Storm ANTHONY that struck northern Queensland on Sunday with gusts of about 90 mph. On the other side of the country, Tropical Cyclone BIANCA hit the brakes over the weekend downgrading to storm strength on Sunday and washed southward over Australia's west coast. Text-TV and news from Denmark, Germany and Sweden on 2.2.11: CYCLONE YASI HIT QUEENSLAND IN AUSTRALIA Cyclone YASI has a diameter of 400km and covers an area bigger than ITALY. The wind gusts were up to 300 km per hour and moved at a speed of 29 km per hour. It was downgraded from a powerful category 5 cyclone to a category 4 cyclone. Ten thousands of Queenslanders were evacuated before the arrival of the cyclone. Mines, railways and ports / harbours were shut down prior to its arrival. The authorities feared that the special hurricane-proof houses could not withstand a category-5 hurricane, but would collapse. YASI hit Queensland between holiday resort CAIRNS and the town of CARDWELL and near the town Mission Beach. It was accompanied by 7-meter-high waves. Meteorologists said that it would take 4 hours for the devastating centre of the cyclone to pass - according to the Australian website news.om.au. According to the news agency AP aka. Associated Press the power went out in ten thousands of homes, and the roofs blew off many buildings and disappeared. Many trees were uprooted. Shopping centres were used as evacuation centres. There was not space / room enough for everyone in the evacuation centres, and some Queenslanders hesitated too long. 1 million did not flee in time, but had to barricade themselves in their houses trying to find shelter there. More than 400,000 people are living in the areas threatened by cyclone YASI. Queensland was hit by a cyclone like YASI in 1918, said Anna Bligh, Queensland's Prime Minister. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 NEWS on 2.2.11 in relation to CYCLONE YASI News in relation to AUSTRALIA http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12351647 2 February 2011 Last updated at 22:40 GMT AUSTRALIA's QUEENSLAND BATTERED BY CYCLONE YASI The Australian state of Queensland is counting the cost as a powerful cyclone carves a trail of destruction across the north-east. Cyclone YASI struck the coast south of the city of Cairns at about midnight, ripping roofs from houses and toppling trees and power lines. Small communities bore the brunt of winds up to 290km/h (181mph) as the storm swept inland slowly weakening. About 30,000 people have been evacuated from Yasi's path and taken to shelters. Others spent a terrifying night in their homes as the colossal cyclone - the most powerful to hit the area in nearly a century - roared overhead and lashed them with rain. 'Relieved' Officials in CAIRNS said the city had been spared the worst of the storm. Mayor Val Schier said: "We're very relieved." It was different story in coastal communities further south including Mission Beach, TULLY, CARDWELL and Innisfail. Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh said she was "very relieved" that early reports indicated there had been not been any deaths or serious injuries. However, she added that early assessments in TULLY indicate "that 90% of the buildings in that area are extensively damaged". With many power lines down, reports from the stricken areas were still coming in. But TULLY resident Ross Sorbello told the Sydney Morning Herald the town was a "scene of mass devastation". Mr Sorbello, who briefly went outside as the eye of the storm passed over, said roofs were ripped from houses, electricity poles were down and the streets were covered with debris. TULLY resident Stephanie Grimaz said that houses in her street had been torn apart, the Queensland Times reported. "The flat from across the street is in our front yard and we can see other houses which have just been destroyed," she said. Other residents in Tully described tree tops being shredded by winds that roared like jet engines, and water being forced under doors by the pressure. On Thursday, the cyclone was continuing its south-westerly path across the state heading for Georgetown and Charters Towers. Yasi was classed as a category five cyclone as it crossed the coast - the highest grade in the scale used to measure such storms. Dangerous The Australian Bureau of Meteorology later downgraded the storm to category four and then to category three and two, but still classified it as dangerous. Cyclone Yasi made landfall between Innisfail and Cardwell at around midnight local time (1400 GMT Wednesday). The eye of the storm was reported to be 35km (22 miles) in width, with a front stretching across 650km (400 miles). The core of the cyclone took four hours to pass overhead. On Wednesday, Queensland disaster co-ordinator Ian Stewart had warned residents they would be on their own during the coming hours as it was too dangerous to send out emergency workers. He told Australian television that deaths were "very likely" and there would be "significant destruction of buildings". Prime Minister Julia Gillard described the storm as a "cyclone of savagery and intensity". Many had feared that Yasi could be worse than Cyclone Tracy, which hit Darwin on Christmas Eve in 1974 and killed 71 people. The cyclone follows the worst floods in Queensland's history, triggered by tropical storms which have battered the south of the state since the end of November. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobalt Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 No casualties or serious injuries so far... but Townsville is facing a rather bad situation. Their water supply has been damaged and they're expected to run out of drinking water tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ro. Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 I live in Townsville and yeah, it sucked. We have to conserve water and only use it for drinking and extreme hygiene purposes. Here are some pictures I took in and around my place this afternoon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chloe_Martin Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 That looks frightening im so sorry that you have gone through that Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobalt Posted February 3, 2011 Share Posted February 3, 2011 Innisfail also apparently has no water and now power... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 3, 2011 Author Share Posted February 3, 2011 NEWS on 3.2.11 in relation to AUSTRALIA NEWS on 3.2.11 in relation to AUSTRALIA Danish, Swedish and German text TV: RELIEF IN AUSTRALIA / QUEENSLAND Yesterday, the tropical cyclone YASI hit north-eastern Australia - the state of Queensland. It ravaged a stretch of 300 km. SUBSTANTIAL DAMAGE AFTER THE CYCLONE "YASI": People lost their homes, yachts were thrown into the streets, and large banana and sugar cane plantations were destroyed. At least 15% of Australia's production of cane sugar was lost during the passing of the cyclone which was followed by heavy rain causing flooding in many areas. The agriculture was affected negatively with the loss of crops and income according to Queensland's Prime Minister, Anna Bligh saying this to news agency AFP. In small communities along the coast in Queensland, 90% of the houses was reported damaged, but no reports of casualties (= deaths or injured). At least 175,000 are without power / electricity. 2 men were reported missing, and Brisbane policemen are searching for them. The authorities are worried about 100 inhabitants who refused to leave their homes in Cardwell when asked to evacuate the area. The 2 big cities in the region - CAIRNS and TOWNSVILLE - were not so damaged as expected as they were not exposed to the strongest gusts of wind. A baby was born during the monster cyclone YASI in a closely packed evacuation centre in CAIRNS to the proud parents Christian and Akiko Pruss. A temporary delivery room was established in the evacuation centre. British Carol Weeks, a midwife, was on holiday in that area and could assist the mother. That was very convenient. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ro. Posted February 4, 2011 Share Posted February 4, 2011 The 2 big cities in the region - CAIRNS and TOWNSVILLE - were not so damaged as expected as they were not exposed to the strongest gusts of wind. That is quite interesting - if anything I would say Cairns was not hit as hard as expected, yet Townsville is more damaged than expected (though not exposed to the strongest winds). I took a drive around town this morning and there are trees and fences down everywhere. The army personnel are going around the streets to make sure they are clear of debris so we can get around. Most shopping centres and petrol stations are closed, so the few that are open are really busy. Never seen anything like it before. I am so grateful we didn't get the most destructive winds, or we would have been in a much worse state. Poor Tully/Mission Beach/Cardwell :( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 4, 2011 Author Share Posted February 4, 2011 NEWS ON 4.2.11 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS ^Thanks for the correction and for your report from the area. Much appreciated. :thumbsup: NEWS ON 4.2.11 IN RELATION TO NATURAL DISASTERS Text-TV from Denmark, Sweden and Germany: 4,000 SOLDIERS DEPLOYED IN CLEAN-UP OPERATION IN AUSTRALIA - ONE YOUNG MAN DIED In Australia, 4,000 soldiers have been sent to the area in the eastern Australia that was hit by the cyclone YASI. The cyclone caused substantial damage on Thursday. Many hours of heavy rain and strong winds have made the clean-up operation difficult. Many are left homeless. The power is down in many areas. There is a shortage of basic necessities. 90% of the houses along the coast in Queensland are reported damaged. The hurricane was the worst ever recorded in Australia. One man died - by an accident (see below). 2 are still missing. 4 Feb 2011 ... A 23-YEAR-OLD man has suffocated from using a generator inside a closed room after Cyclone Yasi cut power supplies, Premier Anna Bligh said. He died by fumes from a generator that was being used to operate electrical appliances. http://www.news.com.au/.../man...cyclone-yasi/story-e6frfku0-1226000043710 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 news on 4.2.11 in relation to Australia - from BBC World News NEWS ON 4.2.11 IN RELATION TO HAITI http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12362908 4 February 2011 Last updated at 09:20 GMT Queensland rescuers fight through Cyclone Yasi debris Thousands of Australian soldiers, police and emergency workers have been sent to help Queensland's stricken coastal communities, left reeling by the state's worst storm in a century. Emergency teams are cutting through the debris to reach towns still isolated after Cyclone Yasi hit on Wednesday. Police have confirmed the first fatality; a 23-year-old man. Heavy rains and flash floods are said to be hampering rescue efforts. Power is still out for 150,000 homes. The category five cyclone - the most severe level - has shattered communities along Queensland's north-east coast. "It's a war zone," said Deputy Prime Minister Wayne Swan, after a 30-minute tour of the town of TULLY. Officials described as a "tragic loss of life", the death of a young man suffocated by fumes from a generator he was running in a closed room as he sheltered from the storm. State Premier Anna Bligh said there could be "some sad news in the next couple of days" as rescue work progressed. But she said that given the scale of the devastation there had not been a "mass loss of life" which she described as "a great relief". Appeal for calm Some 4,000 soldiers and 600 police and emergency workers are at work in the state. A ship carrying nearly 3,000 tons of food and essential supplies has arrived in Townsville. Some 7,000 people remain in evacuation centres and thousands more are living in their battered homes without power or water supplies. Communication links have yet to be restored to many areas. Officials have appealed for calm while rescuers try to reach residents. The towns of Mission Beach and Cardwell are still cut off; CARDWELL suffered flooding after taking the full brunt of the storm. Aerial images show city blocks in Cardwell reduced to mud, and boats thrown inland and stacked on top of each other. "We do understand that many people in the highly-impacted areas are getting anxious about the level of support and contact they are able to have with emergency authorities," Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts said. "We just ask them to be patient. But there have been significant difficulties in terms of access. Roads are cut... there is heavy debris on many," he said. A sea of household items such as microwave ovens and fridges have created an obstacle course for vehicles in the streets, reports say. Queensland Fire and Rescue Service officials said workers equipped with chainsaws were cutting their way through the debris into areas. Residents in Cardwell have told reporters they feel numb and scared after the week of turmoil. The storm compounds Queensland's misery, coming on the heels of devastating floods that have claimed 35 lives and destroyed hundreds of homes since December. "A lot of us feel like we're on our own again," said Lisa Smith, a resident in Cardwell whose house has lost half its roof. "I just hope we don't get forgotten." Prime Minister Julia Gillard has said the cyclone damage would be "massive" but that it was too early to quantify. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been lost in banana and sugar cane plantations but it is still too early for a full disaster assessment. Raw sugar exports from Australia - usually the world's third largest exporter behind Brazil and Thailand - are expected to fall more than 20%. Treasurer Wayne Swan said the cyclone would add about a quarter of a percentage point to inflation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cobalt Posted February 5, 2011 Share Posted February 5, 2011 Melbourne has been battered by the storms that came from Yasi's tail yesterday. I got caught in the middle of it in the city... from Federation Square, you could not see the cathedral properly across the road. Several train lines cancelled, etc... My suburb laughs at floods since it's in a dry belt but others are not so lucky. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancyk58 Posted February 5, 2011 Author Share Posted February 5, 2011 News on 5.2.11 in relation to AUSTRALIA http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-12373696 5 February 2011 Last updated at 14:03 GMT TORRENTIAL RAIN HAS LED TO FLASH FLOODING IN THE SOUTHERN AUSTRALIAN STATE OF VICTORIA. Some people in the east of the state are being urged to evacuate as the water continues to rise. Emergency services have had 5,000 calls for help and more than 90 people had to be rescued from their cars or homes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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