CYCLONE YASI HITS AUSTRALIA
February 14, 2011
Cyclone Yasi heads towards the North Queensland Coast
In early February 2011, Cyclone Yasi passed over the North Queensland Coast between Cairns and Townsville, causing devastation to small towns along the coast and inland. Though only one fatality was recorded (due to carbon monoxide poisoning from a generator), heavy rain, winds and flooding caused much damage to property. Yasi continued across the continent to Western Australia, eventually becoming a rain depression. As a Catefory 5 Cyclone, it will sit in local memory along with Cyclone Tracy and Cyclone Larry. How Cyclone Yasi compares around the world can be found through the link Yasi Comparison . More details of the cyclone itself and its effects can be found through the link Cyclone Yasi .
Below are the items which appeared on the News Page of this site, as the cyclone approached and passed over Townsville in Northern Queensland.
2/2/11 Cyclone Yasi approaches Queensland Coast
TOWNSVILLE
QLD: As Cyclone Yasi
approaches the Queensland Coast near Townsville, many people, including Frs
Glenn Humphreys CM and John
Halloran CM, have been forced to evacuate their homes.
The area where the two confreres live is expected to be severely flooded. Cyclone Yasi is the third, and most severe, of three cyclones to hit Queensland in the last five weeks.
Glenn Humphreys can be contacted by mobile phone at this stage. Click on map above for larger view.
3/2/11 After Cyclone Yasi in Townsville
TOWNSVILLE
QLD: Following mandatory evacuation
yesterday, Fr Glenn Humphreys CM and Fr John Halloran CM
survived
Cyclone Yasi
after a very harrowing night. Like many others, they have not yet
been able to get back to their home owing to the very strong wind
gusts that are still occurring. At 10.30 am AEST (Thursday) it was
still too dangerous to be outside. While Glenn can be
contacted by mobile, he has indicated that this should only be used
if really necessary as there is no power at this stage to
recharge his phone.
Both Glenn and John are grateful for the prayers and support that have been offered. So far, no lives lost have been reported, nor injuries, but only property damage. But contact is still to be made with some isolated communities north of Townsville and inland. Click on picture for larger view.
7/2/11 Confreres return home after Cyclone Yasi
TOWNSVILLE
QLD: Frs Glenn Humphreys CM and
John Halloran CM have been able to return to their residence
following Cyclone Yasi. They were fortunate that their house
was not flooded or damaged, though the local church suffered some
damage due to loss of roof tiles. Streets and properties in
the area were littered with broken branches and uprooted trees.
Power, water and phones have now been restored in that part of
Townsville. The most severe damage from the cyclone seems to have
been further north in the region of Mission Beach where the cyclone
crossed the coast. In some parts of that area, devastation was
total.
10/2/11 Some reflections from Townsville after Cyclone Yasi
10/2/11,
TOWNSVILLE
QLD: Fr Glenn Humphreys CM has
kindly sent some reflections from Townsville Qld in the aftermath of
Cyclone Yasi - "I know that most of you would have
watched it on television whilst those of us living here only had
transistor radios as our newslink to what was happening in the
world. I am very grateful for the prayers that were offered before,
during and after the cyclone struck. I have never endured anything
like it and for me personally the worst parts were that it just went
on and on with no relief for well over 12 hours and also the fact
that having been evacuated meant I had no idea what state our house
and churches were in. It was extremely eerie the next afternoon when
the winds had finally abated and I ventured out with Bishop Michael
Putney for a drive to survey what had happened. The sight of
countless thousands and thousands of huge trees lying across roads,
sometimes on houses, power lines across roads, twisted signs
everywhere, metal and debris littering everywhere, thick sand
covering our beautiful beach road, the Strand, just left me
speechless. All of the churches in our parish sustained damage but
nothing that cannot be repaired. Our house sustained water damage
but nothing structural. Most people appeared somewhat dazed and
dislocated from the whole event. I think the build up in the media
for the days leading up to it when we were left in no doubt as to
what was coming already had most of us on edge and extremely
fearful. Of course all those intrepid reporters have long left town
now that the main event is over and the misery of power-less days
set in. The overwhelming sentiment of gratitude that we were spared
huge numbers of human casualties is still palpable. I cannot bear to
think what the outcome would have been if Yasi had directly hit
Cairns or Townsville. Now of course, our hearts and prayers go out
to the people in Victoria also suffering from floods and to our
friends in W.A. who are also going through such hard times. I
apologise to those whom I haven't been able to contact who sent me
good wishes especially during the cyclone when fortunately the
mobile network never crashed. They meant a lot to me."
Glenn Humphreys CM
(Thank you Glenn, for taking time to send us your reflections. - especially when you are trying to settle back to normality, with phones, technology, and some other services, still not all working properly - T.W)