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BREAKING: Category 5 Cyclone Hits Australia
CBS NEWS ^ | 03-19-2006 | AP

Posted on 03/19/2006 4:04:44 PM PST by Extremely Extreme Extremist

(CBS/AP) A powerful tropical cyclone packing winds of up to 180 miles-an-hour struck northeastern Australia early Monday, injuring at least three people.

Tropical cyclone Larry smashed into the coastal community of Innisfail, about 62 miles south of Cairns, a popular jumping-off point for the Great Barrier Reef, sending hundreds of residents fleeing for higher ground, reports CBS News.

A Queensland state police spokeswoman at Innisfail said three people had been reported injured so far in the storm, including a woman who was struck by flying glass and two others who were hurt after falling down.

(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: australia; cyclone; cyclonelarry; queensland; weather
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To: All

anyone know if brisbane, canberra or sydney ever get threatened or hit by cyclones?


41 posted on 03/19/2006 5:40:09 PM PST by Tevin
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To: paul in cape

Is that another cyclone behind the one that hit? Yikes.


42 posted on 03/19/2006 5:59:24 PM PST by Orange1998
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To: SevenofNine

43 posted on 03/19/2006 5:59:53 PM PST by JRios1968 (A DUmmie troll's motto: "Non cogito, ergo zot")
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To: paul in cape
That isn't the right picture.....This is....




44 posted on 03/19/2006 6:02:01 PM PST by MikefromOhio (aka MikeinIraq)
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To: zarf
The Australian weather bureau on Monday upgraded the storm to a category five — the strongest category possible....

Late Sunday, Queensland state Counter Disaster and Rescue Services executive director Frank Pagano said, “This is the most devastating cyclone that we could potentially see on the east coast of Queensland for decades ... there is going to be destruction.”

45 posted on 03/19/2006 6:03:32 PM PST by La Enchiladita (Keep your nose clean and you'll be OK)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

Whoa...that being Northeast Australia, there WILL be lunatics trying to surf it. Cowabunga!


46 posted on 03/19/2006 6:05:51 PM PST by Billthedrill
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To: Strategerist

They're anticipating winds up to 250 mph; sounds BIG to me.


47 posted on 03/19/2006 6:07:09 PM PST by La Enchiladita (Keep your nose clean and you'll be OK)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist
My sister lives in Meldale,Queensland. I wonder how close that is to where the Cyclone hit.

Today is her birthday, I hope all is OK for her.

48 posted on 03/19/2006 6:11:07 PM PST by Spunky ("Everyone has a freedom of choice, but not of consequences.")
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

bump


49 posted on 03/19/2006 6:47:59 PM PST by metmom (Welfare was never meant to be a career choice.)
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist

Has anyone notified the "Bus Driver" Nagin or asked him for advice yet?


TT


50 posted on 03/19/2006 7:10:02 PM PST by TexasTransplant (NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSET)
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To: TexasTransplant

Trees fall down on the ground in front of a house in Cairns, northeastern Australia, in this image taken from television Monday, March 20, 2006. Powerful Tropical Cyclone Larry, with winds of up to 290 kph (180 mph), ripped roofs off buildings and uprooted trees across Australia's northeastern coast Monday, packing winds so powerful that emergency workers were forced to stay inside despite pleas from terrified residents.

51 posted on 03/19/2006 8:01:53 PM PST by BurbankKarl
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To: BurbankKarl

52 posted on 03/19/2006 8:10:03 PM PST by BurbankKarl
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To: BurbankKarl

Widespread cyclone damage in north Queensland
Posted at 3:08pm on 20 Mar 2006

There is widespread damage across far north Queensland as Cyclone Larry moves inland after crossing the coast this morning.

The cyclone hit the far north Queensland coast this morning as a maximum Category 5 storm, with wind gusts reaching 290kph.

It has now been downgraded to a Category Three storm as it moves inland over the Atherton Tablelands, and the wind gusts have dropped to about 200kph.

Forecasters had feared Cyclone Larry might move over the Gulf of Carpentaria and regain its original strength but they now say it is not currently expected to take that path.

It is expected to weaken and by tomorrow should just be a tropical low.

Areas south of Cairns hard hit
Coastal areas south of Cairns were hard hit when the cyclone hit this morning at full force.

Trees have been uprooted, roofs have been torn off and crops have been flattened.

In the town of Innisfall, there are reports that one in three houses in the town have lost their roofs. Amanda Fitzpatrick, who owns a motel in the town, says the damage looks like an atomic bomb has gone off.

Cairns has also suffered significant property damage

Farmers say millions of dollars worth of crops like bananas and sugar cane have been flattened.

Promise of help
Queensland Premier Peter Beattie says help will be on its way to victims of Cyclone Larry within hours.

The State Premier said he had been in contact with Prime Minister John Howard, who had assured him the armed services would be at Queensland's disposal once the cyclone had passed.

Mr Beattie urged those in the path of the destructive storm to "batten down" and wait for assistance.

He said he hoped to move rescue teams in within "two or three hours".

Worst since 1931
The Queensland Counter Disaster and Rescue Services said today the cyclone was the worst recorded since 1931.

Earlier the Bureau of Meteorology said it's more powerful than Cyclone Tracy, which struck Darwin in 1974. Cyclone Tracy killed 71 people and destroyed more than 70% of the buildings in Darwin, leaving over 20,000 people homeless.

MFAT monitoring situation
New Zealand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says it is monitoring the situation in Queensland.

A Ministry spokesperson in Wellington says New Zealand's Consul-General in Sydney is in contact with Australian authorities.

She says there are no reports of any New Zealanders needing assistance at this stage.

2nd cyclone forms
The ABC reports a second cyclone has formed behind Cyclone Larry.

The Queensland Bureau of Meteorology says Tropical Cyclone Wati is near Vanuatu and moving west, south-west at about 13 knots. It is currently located about 2,000km east of Townsville.


53 posted on 03/19/2006 8:14:08 PM PST by BurbankKarl
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To: onyx

180 is a lot of wind.


54 posted on 03/19/2006 8:42:09 PM PST by beyond the sea (The definition of a 'Targeted Tax Cut' is ........................ you ain't gettin' it)
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To: La Enchiladita
They're anticipating winds up to 250 mph

I doubt they'll go that high ........ unless 'The HildaBeast' is visiting.

55 posted on 03/19/2006 8:45:07 PM PST by beyond the sea (The definition of a 'Targeted Tax Cut' is ........................ you ain't gettin' it)
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To: LS
>>>Tropical cyclone Larry smashed into the coastal community of Innisfail

This is really not a good way to promote your book!

56 posted on 03/19/2006 8:49:45 PM PST by Calpernia (Breederville.com)
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To: onyx; Fred Nerks; Dundee; BurbankKarl
Thanks for the ping, Onyx. Fred and Dundee are you anywhere near this thing?

Latest color enhanced infrared image of Cyclone Larry


57 posted on 03/19/2006 9:07:44 PM PST by bd476
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To: bd476


You're most welcome!
It's HUGE!


58 posted on 03/19/2006 9:12:15 PM PST by onyx (IF ONLY 10% of Muslims are radical, that's still 120 MILLION who want to kill us.)
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To: bd476

No, I'm hundreds of miles to the south of it. Saw a report on TV, lots of fallen trees, flying roofing iron, people are being told to stay inside until the high winds pass, someone said 290klm an hour...seems a bit high to me. Area most affected is Innisfail, farming and sugar cane territory. Some property damage in Cairns.

Here's one report I got off Google:

Cyclone Larry devastates FNQ farms

Monday, 20/03/2006

The most powerful cyclone to cross the north Queensland coast in 20 years is continuing to cause havoc as it moves west.

The core of the category 5 Cyclone Larry crossed the coast near Innisfail, around 7:00am AEST, with wind speeds of 290 kilometres an hour.

Banana grower Naomi King says their property has taken a heavy battering.

"We've lost most of our trees, we've lost a fair bit of the car shed, we've lost another shed just over from our house and it looks like the iron on the lime shed just over the back of the house is lifting up too," she said.

"My brother and I are holding the handles to the French doors, because the bolts have busted out from the wind, but we've been holding them for the last hour and a half already."

I'll keep you posted...


59 posted on 03/19/2006 9:23:06 PM PST by Fred Nerks (Read the bio THE LIFE OF MUHAMMAD free! Click Fred Nerks for link to my Page.)
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To: bd476

Whoops! There goes the shed...


Larry destroys cyclone-proof shed
From: AAP
March 20, 2006
A FAR north Queensland resident has told of her shock at seeing her supposedly cyclone-proof shed destroyed by Cyclone Larry.

Kylie Burt, who lives on the Atherton Tablelands, says she watched from her house as the cyclone tore through her property after crossing the coast near Innisfail earlier today.
"We've got a 60-foot (18m shed which is a cyclone-proof, rating five, and we've lost the lot," she told the Seven network.

"The wind got under it, I gather, and it just lifted the roof off and now it's in my cattle paddock."

Ms Burt said she did not know if her cattle had survived the cyclone, as it was still too dangerous to leave the shelter of her home.


"(There are) trees down everywhere, there is debris flying through the air everywhere, it's just too dangerous to be outside," she said.





60 posted on 03/19/2006 9:27:40 PM PST by Fred Nerks (Read the bio THE LIFE OF MUHAMMAD free! Click Fred Nerks for link to my Page.)
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