North Queensland residents urged to evacuate (Australia)

The Age ^ | March 19, 2006

[Dundee]

Far north Queensland residents in cyclone Larry's path have been urged to evacuate as authorities compare the violent storm to Hurricane Katrina which devastated United States gulf states last year.

Larry could intensify to a category five - the most intense rating for a cyclone - by the time it hits south of Cairns between Innisfail and Cardwell early tomorrow, the Bureau of Meteorology said today.

Counter Disaster and Rescue Services (CDRS) executive director Frank Pagano said residents in low-lying beach communities along the stretch of coast in the cyclone's path should be "really considering" evacuating.

Mr Pagano said mandatory evacuations had not been ruled out as the category four cyclone, with wind gusts of up to 280kph, rapidly approached.

Disaster co-ordination centres were activated in Cairns and Townsville while the state government deployed response teams from Brisbane, in response to imminent destruction caused by gale force winds, torrential rain and flooding, he said.

"This is the most devastating cyclone that we could potentially see on the east coast of Queensland for decades," Mr Pagano told reporters in Brisbane. "There is going to be destruction - we are very certain this cyclone will not peter out.

"(Residents) should be really considering about evacuating any low-lying areas ... that may become mandatory in the future."

He compared the potential force of Larry to Katrina, which ravaged the United States' Gulf states in August last year, killing more than 1,400 people.

"Katrina was a category five - this is currently a category four that can develop similar to the American one," Mr Pagano said.

"But it's important to note that Queensland doesn't have the risk of communities below sea level and levy banks (that broke in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina)."

Mr Pagano described Larry as a "very big cyclone" 300 to 400km in width and currently sitting in the Coral Sea 470km east of Innisfail.

Larry was expected to cross the coast around 7.30am (AEST) tomorrow and, due to its large size and strength, reach up to 100 km inland before diminishing, he said.

"It is moving faster than most cyclones we've seen ... coinciding with the crossing will be a storm surge of four metres ... so we're expecting an increase of two metres above the highest tide for that area," he said.

He warned residents to stay away from areas likely to become inundated, saying water often posed a much higher danger than gale force winds during cyclones.

"Buildings themselves may withstand the force of the winds because of our building codes, however, a category four and category five will be devastating," Mr Pagano said.

"Stay above the surge level and obviously stay in the strongest room in the house .... that could possibly be the bathroom.

"Our experience is people can survive the winds but not the water."

He also implored residents to heed safety warnings from authorities and not to be complacent.

"The reports we are getting from northern Queensland is that the sun is shining, there is not a cloud in the sky and there's not too much of a breeze at all," he said.

"The community can be complacent with that - what's got to be remembered is that cyclone Larry wasn't a cyclone until yesterday. It has actually developed very rapidly."

The bureau today issued severe weather warnings for coastal communities from Cape Flattery to Mackay and inland areas near Chillagoe and Charters Towers as the cyclone intensified.

[Dundee]

"The community can be complacent with that - what's got to be remembered is that cyclone Larry wasn't a cyclone until yesterday. It has actually developed very rapidly."

From noting to a cat 4 (with the strong possibility of going cat 5 overnight)...

Whoah!

[ncountylee]

Prayers for our mates.

[Cindy]

ON THE NET...

http://theweather.news.com.au/?from=ninews_leftnav

[bd476]

Note: the past cyclone track may be adjusted on the basis of later information.

Warning Area: gales within 24 hours

Watch Area: gales within 24-48 hours
Very Destructive Winds
Destructive Winds
Strong Gales

Name: Larry
Severity Category: 4
Situation At: 4 PM AEST Sunday 19 March 2006
Warning Area: Cape Tribulation to Mackay extending inland to the Croydon area
Watch Area: Inland areas near Normanton
Location: 17.6S 149.7E
Recent Movement: W at 25 km/h

Remarks: Marine users please note: Tropical cyclone information specific to the marine community is contained in Coastal Wind Warnings and Ocean Wind Warnings. Refer to those warnings for the areas of strong winds, gales and more intense winds associated with the cyclone.

The next track map will be issued at 8 pm AEST Sunday 19 March 2006

[pageonetoo]

Live radar link...

[shaggy eel]

,,, what was the strength of the blow that flattened Darwin in the 1970s?

[Schwaeky]

lets hope CDRS in oz is not as inept as american FEMA...

[Dundee]

IIRC, Tracy was a cat 5.

There is a better than even chance that this will reach cat 5 before landfall.

[Smokin' Joe]

Prayers up for y'all down there.

[Dundee]

Northern Australia gets hit by cyclones a lot. After cyclone Tracy destroyed Darwin we made sure that the emergency services were well prepared and world class.

[shaggy eel]

,,, lockdown time. I'll keep up with developments on the radio. Best of luck to the target area.

[bd476]

Here's a satellite view of Cyclone Larry barreling down on Queensland, Australia. It's at Cat 4 now, and expected to reach Cat 5 later today.



Australian Government Bureau of Meterology

Latest satellite image

[bd476]

Cindy, I posted the latest satellite image of Cyclone Larry here.

[BlackVeil]

Concerns for our fellow citizens up north.

[BlackVeil]

From ABC news:

Premier Peter Beattie has officially declared a disaster situation, allowing authorities the legal power to forcibly remove any reluctant evacuees.

"[It] empowers police or their delegated representatives to obviously to get people to move out of danger areas," he said.

"If they don't, then obviously they can moved forcibly - we don't want to do that - we're appealing for people to cooperate with the police.

"It is a category 4 - we've spoken to the weather bureau again, it's a category 4, in fact it's a bit higher than that."

Mr Beattie says people living in coastal areas must comply if they are asked to evacuate.

"We're not asking people to move because we've got some stupid game going on - there is a threat to life and we need to be very serious about it," he said.

[backhoe]

Hurricane Preparedness ( and general "bad times" links )
various FR links & stories | 10-23-05 | the heavy equipment guy
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1507830/posts

[Fred Nerks]

Thanks for the kind thoughts, we are keeping an eye on it...but it wouldn't be Queensland if we didn't have a 'big blow' this time of year.
The time is now 10.15pm Eastern Daylight Savings Time, Larry is expected to 'hit' between Innisfail and Mission Beach around 7 to 9am.
A lot can happen between now and then. The last one blew itself out to sea and left us with lots of lovely rain.

[bd476]

Color enhanced infrared image of Cyclone Larry

[Fred Nerks]

nice pic, thanks...hope it keeps moving north along the coast.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Are you near the path of this storm?