BigOl64 wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2011 at 8:20am:


I'd like to ask , what was the known sea temp off the coast regarding times of the last La nina ? Cause it is being reported that sea temps are currently  30C off  north Qlds which may make this  storm surge bigger.

Quote:



No idea veg,

BigOl64 wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2011 at 10:57am:




My father-in-law has that many nails and bolts in his roof in Mundingburra that if the roof goes, it will take the house with it.

He has gone on endlessly to me about a cyclone in the 70's (Eleuthera?) and how people have forgotten it.
In fact he endlessly talks about how so many of the trees etc have been allowed to become a serious hazard around Townsville.

This may be the hour he is proved right?

I just heard that this cyclone makes cyclone Tracy look like a midget !!

http://www.ozpolitic.com/forum/YaBB.pl?num=1296611700/0#0

FAR-NORTH Queenslanders in low-lying areas have been warned to leave their homes immediately, as Cyclone Yasi bears down on the region.

"There is still an opportunity for you to move to a place of safety," she said, after a disaster management meeting this morning.

"I cannot say in the strongest possible terms, you have to take this opportunity now. It will close in the next three hours."

Army personnel are door-knocking areas in Queensland's northern capital of Townsville, where the latest modelling shows an increased storm surge from the category five cyclone.

"The next 24 hours is going to be, frankly, a very terrifying 24 hours for many people," she said.

"Now is the time for people to prepare themselves and their families and their children mentally for what they are about to experience."

She urged people to prepare for very loud wind noise, torrential rain and a loss of power and phone access.

The Premier said it was expected that up to 200,000 people would lose power from the cyclone, as far south as Mackay, and additional electricity crews will be on site from Saturday. Telephone systems are also anticipated to go down.

More than 340 schools have been closed and will be shut down until at least the end of the week.

Disaster coordinator Ian Stewart said people needed to be prepared for a terrifying night but gale-force winds would start from midday.

He said people should start making preparations in their homes and remain in the safest, strongest part of the house - generally in the bathroom and toilet - and bunker down with mattresses, food and drinking water.

"They should be prepare themselves for the fact that the roof might come off," he said.

"They might get wet but it is far more dangerous to run out of the house than run outside."

He said emergency services would not be able to respond to residents during the peak winds and people needed to understand they were first-responders in order to protect their family.

Link -
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/in-depth/cyclone-yasi/one-last-chance-to-leave-h...
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I know this is not the right time to raise this, but as the thought occurs to me now, I can see that Real Estate in Queensland is going change, after this season of destruction!

Ex Dame Pansi wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2011 at 12:00pm:


I agree Pansi, government can not guarantee somethings and the control of Mother Nature is one that is not now, nor is it ever likely to be, under government control.

Risk mitigation & subsequent clean up, are within government scope of control, but they can not stop the event itself.

Sprinty, I don't think Political points scoring is appropriate just at the moment, later maybe!