Massive Cyclone Slams Australia; OZ friends OK???

That was/is questioned already here.

Walter


Thanks, Walter, I missed this earlier post.

BBB

I head Mayor Nagin of New Orleans is heading there right now to help confiscate their weapons.

Making bad jokes about the suffering of others is a great fun, isn't cjhsa?

Who said it was a joke?

It sounds like so far no one was killed - that's a miracle in a Cat 5 storm.

I wish them all luck in the aftermath - and hope no Nagins show up to deny the survivors the ability to defend their lives and property.

You need serious help, Cj.

I didn't think anything you wrote stemming from your monomania could still surprise me, but I admit this one is lower and weirder than I thought you could go.


New record.


I would hope you don't break it, but I won't be betting on it.

Why do I need help? For wishing you luck?

You seriously need to look in the mirror - which hopefully isn't broken and still attached to a wall.

Maybe you aren't familiar with what happened in New Orleans. After Katrina, armed gangs roamed the city robbing people and stores. In response, Mayor Nagin decided to disarm all of the honest people who were simply trying to defend themselves.

I don't wish that fate upon you.

And I'd thought, cjhsa is presently in Michigan and had been before in Silicon Valley.

He's a Louisiana boy, whow.

Lol! You know perfectly well which bit of monomaniacal crap I was referring to, and so do not try and pretend otherwise.


Luckily, any gangs here are very unlikely to be armed.

A publican came across somelooters, in the only incident I know about so far, and he yelled at them, and chased them away.

Your chauvinistic monomania makes you see possibilities that exist in your country because of your lunacy about guns, thus you beget dreams of horror elsewhere to justify your paranoia.

And that is my last response to your nonsense about this topic.

The only armed loonies i know of in New Orleans in the aftermath of the storm were the uniformed members of the police force whom i saw in a video tape leaving a store with electronic equiment, DVDs and CDs.

CJ certainly is in a class by himself . . . fortunately . . .

Wow, I don't have sympathy for retards.

Do you really all watch CNN or the bullshit equivalent in your country all day long and buy into it?

Still, good luck and godspeed. The U.S. will do what it can to help, but don't forget that we are still trying to recover from the storms that ravaged our shores.

dlowan
dlowan, I hope your government does a better job than ours in helping the people in the devastated areas. Please keep us posted of their recovery and if there is anything any of us can do to help as individuals.

BBB

As far as I can see, recovery stuff is well in hand.


There is a national appeal to help folk whose crops are devastated, and who are homeless.


I have been too busy today to keep up, but a disaster area has been declared etc....I think things would be reasonably well in hand...it is a cyclone area, after all, though this has to be the worst since Tracy wiped out Darwin in 1974, and the military etc usually go in to assist.


As far as I know it is a reasonably well oiled response that occurs.

This is the link to the national broadcaster, which is leading its news with this stuff, and which gets updated.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/


It is still raining, which is increasing fears of disease.


Thing is, you folk are probably imagining a population like that of New Orleans affected......it is not a densely populated area, and there are not hordes of people affected as there would be in the USA. Probably getting to isolated communities and the thtreat of disease will be the hardest things.


Here's a current ABC summary:

"
Cyclone devastation prompts disease fears
Constant rain in cyclone-ravaged far north Queensland has raised disease concerns as many areas remain without power, running water or sewerage.

Premier Peter Beattie is worried about the outbreak of diseases like dengue fever and hepatitis in places like Innisfail, where residents are without basic services.

Mr Beattie has called in two public health experts as well as Army specialists to make sure systems are put in place to prevent the spread of disease and infection.

He says resources at the local hospital are exhausted and a handful of people, including pregnant women, have been flown out.

Mr Beattie hopes Innisfail will have clean running water in the next few days but it could be more than a week before power is restored.

"The whole bloody place is blown apart ... this is going to be a long, slow recovery," he said.

David Sellars, from the Tropical Population Health Unit, says water contamination is a big concern.

"Water is a particular issue with the power outages," he said.

"The water treatment plants don't work and we are issuing a boiled water notice to residents to keep boiling their water.''

Mr Sellars says residents without running water can drink their pool water if it is boiled first.

Power supply

Ergon Energy says 19 generators have been sent to Innisfail to provide power for sewerage works and some supermarkets.

Regional services manager Geoff Bowes says extra staff have been flown in from Brisbane and Townsville.

"Each storm season we do build up our supply of equipment on the off chance that we get a cyclone but nothing could prepare us for this," he said.

"Nevertheless we do have material available.

"We have a significant upstream network in our logistics processes."

About 17,000 homes blacked out on Cairns' northern beaches should have their power restored today.

Rebuilding

Emergency crews say about 100 homes at Innisfail have been destroyed by Cyclone Larry, while 30 homes in the Atherton Tablelands have lost their roofs.

Kathryn Ryan, from the Disaster Management Group, says SES volunteers are busy putting tarps on the damaged homes while locals try to repair what they can.

The Housing Industry Association says its customers will have to be patient as it concentrates on the rebuilding effort in Innisfail.

The association's John Futer says it is doing a stocktake of its members and available building materials so it can respond.

"Things such as tarpaulins are needed, basic roof materials as well so we can get people back into their homes," he said.

"Some homes will need complete rebuilding and that will take many months.

"But right now let's get the bandaids out and get people settled as much as we can and then start the serious rebuilding of the Innisfail area."

Mr Beattie says the State Government will discuss with Prime Minister John Howard the possibility of having someone oversee the rebuilding effort.

"I think there is very strong case to appoint someone like that," he aid.

"One of the people we talked about was Sandy - the guy from the Olympic Games - Holloway."

Farmers' concerns

As well as homes, the region's banana, sugar cane and avocado industries also need rebuilding.

Jan Davis, the chief executive of fruit growers' group Growcom, says Cyclone Larry will have widespread effects on the fruit industry - not just on farmers.

"Quite clearly needs are going to vary farm to farm," she said.

"We also have to think about the impacts on people who are not farmers but who rely on the growers for their income.

"We have very big fruit and vegie industry in that area and the flow-on effects are going to be quite significant."


In other developments:
Queensland Premier Peter Beattie has declared a state of emergency in Innisfail, so state and federal rescue funding can be accessed. (Full Story)
The Army has sent 150 troops to Innisfail in far north Queensland to help with the cyclone clean-up effort. (Full Story)
The cyclone-battered communities of north Queensland have been confronted by depressing scenes in the aftermath of Larry. (Full Story) "


http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200603/s1597332.htm

And more:

"Troops aid cyclone recovery effort
The Army has sent 150 troops to Innisfail in far north Queensland to help with the cyclone clean-up effort.

Cyclone Larry crossed the coast as a category 5 cyclone yesterday morning, leaving hundreds of residents in far north Queensland homeless and thousands without power.

State Emergency Services Minister Pat Purcell says the Army has conducted aerial services and troops will start to repair schools when they arrive this afternoon.

Mr Purcell says restoring running water is the biggest priority, with portable supplies being used for the time being.

He says it is hard to estimate the number of people who have been displaced because some are staying with relatives.

"As our people move, cleaning streets up we'll find more of those but it's very hard to get people to move," he said.

"The Premier and I spoke to a gentleman who was in his 80s, his house was destroyed but his garage was still standing and he wasn't leaving his patch, he just didn't want to leave home."

Cane fields flattened

ABC reporter Liam Fox is in Innisfail where residents are this morning counting the cost.

"The once green and lush scenery on the drive from Cairns to Innisfail has been destroyed," he said.

"Cane field have been flattened, banana plantations cut in half and sheds torn apart.

"The Bruce Highway is littered with fallen trees, roadsides have been mangled and power poles stand at odd angles."

He says the Innisfail town centre has been devastated.

"Businesses and homes have been heavily damaged," he said.

"But there are signs of life, the cafe on the main street is cooking up donated food and handing it out to residents who have lost everything."

Farmers face ruin

The Insurance Disaster Response Organisation says most of the crops damaged in yesterday's onslaught were uninsurable.

Farmers have reported hundreds of millions of dollars' damage and sugarcane and banana growers say about 90 per cent of their crops have been lost.

Queensland coordinator Graham Jones says grain crops are insured against fire or hail but not wind damage.

"In general terms that is the scope of cover taken by most people but in saying that I'm not aware of whether some of the growing associations do have some form of pooled insurance and that will be a matter for growers to take up with their relevant association," he said.

Prime Minister John Howard has told the Macquarie Network that the economic affect on the region hit by cyclone Larry is being assessed but is clearly very large.

"One of the first things we have to do is to try and assess the scale of the economic damage and it's obviously very big indeed and different ways in which we can assist and we'll be doing that, and the process is starting now," he said.

Power lost

A total of 84,000 far north Queensland homes remain without power.

Ergon Energy says it will take up to a week to restore power to the Innisfail area.

Ergon's Gayle Whenmouth says 50 Energex staff will be sent from Brisbane to assist and a large number of generators will be moved into Innisfail today.

She says priority will be given to the thousands of people left homeless.

"There are a large number of people who have been rendered homeless by the cyclone who are in community welfare centres so we'll be looking at supplying power to those facilities so those people have some degree of comfort at least," she said.

Send us your pictures. Email your pictures and video to ABC News Online or send them via MMS to 0448 859 894 (+61 448 859 894 if you're overseas). Email address: [email protected]

In other developments:
The cyclone threat in far north Queensland has diminished, with ex-cyclone Larry downgraded to a tropical low. (Full Story)
The Queensland Premier has urged people to consider leaving the cyclone-ravaged Innisfail area in far north Queensland until essential services are restored. (Full Story)
Hundreds of residents in far north Queensland remain homeless and thousands are without power and water after Cyclone Larry devastated the region. (Full Story)"

http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200603/s1596771.htm


There's lots of links to personal accounts and photos etc there.


As I said, doubtless there will be cock ups and such....but it sounds like things are well in hand, though very tough for those involved.


The uninsurable crops sound like they might producie the biggest long lasting effect.

all is well cosgrove has arrived in Innisfail has rolled up his sleeves and pulled his waterproof boots on.

Saw him on the news advising people to put the sunblock on. That will help.
Hes been in a good paddock since east timor dont you think?

He looks jolly.

I'd just like to see the banana profiteers lined up against a wall and ......

Not against anyone making a profit, and I wouldn't mind if part of the extra price was a levy designed to help bulldoze and replant the plantations that were destroyed, but when the "market forces" just jump in and up the prices from $2.99 to $5.99 a kilo because they can, that's the time for me to say "no" to bananas from now on!

Bananas! Just say "No"!