Queensland, February 03: Cyclone Yasi has hit the state of Queensland on the northeastern coast of Australia, where authorities are trying to prepare people to face unprecedented devastation.
The cyclone plowed into the coast on Wednesday night, packing winds of up to 290 kilometers per hour before making its way inland, AFP reported.
Police received numerous reports of widespread damages, but no reports of injuries or deaths in the storm which has affected the tourism cities of Cairns, Mackay, and Townsville.
Exceptional winds and forceful rain shattered the coastline, with thousands of residents bunkered down in evacuation centers or barricaded in their own homes.
Thousands of people were evacuated after warnings about the intensity of the cyclone, one of the most powerful storms ever measured in the world, especially in the ones close to the low lying areas which the storm is expected to hit.
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh warned of a sense of despair with some residents losing everything to the storm, urging people to expect scenes of devastation on an unprecedented scale.
“Some people will be going back into their communities… and facing scenes of considerable devastation,” she said.
“There are people now that have lost their homes, they lost their farms, they have lost their crops and they have lost their livelihoods and I have no doubt that many of them will experience a great sense of despair.”
People in Tully said the extent of damage to the country town was incredible and that the areas resembled a war zone.
Those who chose to stay were told they would be on their own until the cyclone had passed.
Mines, railway lines, and ports were shut down in an effort to minimize damage during in the category five storm.
Queensland has been experiencing severe weather conditions since December when massive floods in the disaster-hit state claimed over 30 lives.
——–Agencies