If they hadn't evacuated huge numbers of people from the coast, this could have been much worse.  They recorded a storm surge of 10 metres in places.

Innisfail survived pretty well, considering that all their rebuilding after Cyclone Larry was done to a recent cyclone building standard.

Tully was less lucky.

It's still an emergency if you live in the 'Curry or the Isa.

Just turned the radio on and believe it or not, Anna still calling this an emergency....it's not over yet she says. The ABC reporter going from town to town trying to scratch up some drama....how is it there? bit of rain not much wind, we're advising people to move their cars from low lying areas near the river and that's about it.....ooooohhh that's not we want to hear. Flogging a dead horse. Yesterday, I can understand, the media getting sucked in by the bureaucracy and their political point scoring, but today, no way!

The then Australian Prime Minister John Howard said of Larry, "this cyclone is of an enormous magnitude" and reserved several UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook heavy lift helicopters for rescue efforts in the aftermath of the cyclone. He also promised grants of $10,000 to businesses affected by the cyclone.

An appeal fund was launched by the Queensland Government, with an initial donation of $100,000; the Commonwealth Bank initially donated $50,000, and then increased its contribution to $1 Million after examining the devastation. Premier Beattie asked "everyone to dig deep and help people who have suffered in the devastation wreaked by the cyclone."

President George W Bush has offered US help for cyclone-devastated far north Queensland.

Mr Bush made the offer in a personal phone call to Prime Minister John Howard this morning, after category five Cyclone Larry crossed the coast early yesterday morning.

Larry's 290kph winds have left hundreds of people homeless, damaged thousands of buildings, and wiped out banana and sugar cane crops in and around the hardest-hit town of Innisfail.

American hurricane victims have also called Australia's embassy in Washington DC to offer help and support to Queenslanders recovering from Cyclone Larry.

One of the callers, a survivor of killer Hurricane Katrina that devastated Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama last August, said he did not have much money, but wanted to offer Australians what he could.

"Among several messages of support and offers to help was one from a man in Alabama on the Gulf Coast who had been through many of these sort of storms," said Matt Francis, counsellor for public diplomacy at the Australian embassy in Washington DC.

"He understood first hand the destruction and pain people would be experiencing right now.

"He said he didn't have a lot of money, but he wanted to help out."

Mr Howard, who will tour the devastated region tomorrow, spent 20 minutes on the phone to President Bush this morning. However, he said Australia would be able to look after the recovery itself.

"The president rang to express his concern about Cyclone Larry in north Queensland and to inquire about the extent of the damage," Mr Howard told reporters.

"[He] said that if there was any assistance we needed, the United States would be willing to provide it.

"Of course we are able, ourselves, to look after this.

"But it was a very generous, thoughtful gesture on his part and I thank him for it."

"I think the president, having gone through that experience, is conscious of the impact that these natural disasters can have on local communities," Mr Howard said.

"Fortunately we in Australia have not suffered any deaths. There have not been any fatalities and I hope that remains the case.

"There has been a lot of damage and I'll have the opportunity of inspecting that first-hand when I go to north Queensland tomorrow."

Mr Howard said it was too early to put a dollar figure on the extent of the damage, but he is expected to announce more federal funding during his visit.

"It's less than two days since the cyclone struck and at this stage it's altogether too early to start putting figures on it," he said.

"The damage has been extensive. The support will need to be significant and it will be."

US media organisations have covered Cyclone Larry extensively, with reports featuring prominently in newspapers, on 24-hour TV news channel CNN, and on news telecasts on the major TV networks, such as CBS and NBC.

The damage shown in the footage reminded Americans about the destruction suffered in the US during last year's hurricane season, which was the worst on record.

Awwwwww.... itlooks like we have a couple of posters who feel all ripped off because the death and destruction didn't live up to their expectations and now they're lashing out like a pair of overtired toddlers.

Better luck next time, nutjobs. May the death toll be gigantic, just for you two.

Life_goes_on wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2011 at 6:25pm:


If you were paying attention you would comprehend that I was commenting on the media sensationalism that surrounded this event and the lack of proper reporting.

But perhaps you are just naturally slow.

....Oh the drama


....Oh the devastation


.....Oh how these media whores love the limelight, when really they should be auditioning for a part on Home and Away, not running the country.

When the going gets tough, they buckle at the knees and go to pieces.

Again, wake up to yourselves, take charge of the situation, and remember, we will be comparing you to how Howard managed these sorts of situations, you have big shoes to fill ladies.

Had best hop to it.

Belgarion wrote on Feb 3^rd, 2011 at 7:20pm:


Actually, I wasn't referring to you. I didn't even realise you had posted. Perhaps you are just naturally paranoid.