On Tuesday night there were about 60 terrified backpackers sheltering in a pub in Tully as rainwater swept through the doors. The readiness of Australians for Yasi was in stark contrast to cyclone Tracy, which struck Darwin on Christmas Day in 1974 and took many people by surprise, killing 71 and destroying more than 70% of the city's homes. Because of a lack of services and high ticket prices, many residents were unable to get flights or trains out of Cairns and Townsville. Bligh flatly declared that many more such distress calls were likely. Wind Damage Take a look back at how it shattered lives and caused more than $800 million in damage. Due to the cyclone, most of the banana plantations in the Queensland tropical area were destroyed, and Queensland is the 3rd biggest banana contributor so it will effect 90% of Australia. I would have to say that one of the social impacts of the Cyclone was that Australia showed a tremendous resolve on a national level. The storm came ashore near Innisfail with 185 kph (115 mph) winds (Category Three on the Saffir-Simpson Scale) and caused significant damage, though the majority of the damage was confined to areas closest to the storm’s relatively small center. Since Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin in 1974, building regulations have changed and evacuation schemes have been set in place for those living in cyclone-prone areas. This damage was recorded as one of the worse that has ever hit Australia. The baby was born at 6.09am, but no one knows how heavy she was. Each day the cyclone progressed, from a category 3 – “some roof and structural damage”, to a category 4 – “significant roofing loss and structural damage… If there are winds above 117 km/h (63 knots) it will be called a severe tropical cyclone. Take a look back at how it shattered lives and caused more than $800 million in damage. In total, the damages were estimated at close to 3.6 billion dollars. A natural disaster, a natural destructive force that impacts on the people and their environment in that area, like Cyclone Yasi can cause billions worth of damage. At its height, the massive cyclone covered an area bigger than Italy or New Zealand and its strength was on a par with Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005. In Townsville, airlines set ticket prices of around $600. "This has been, I think for many people, a terrifying experience but this morning because so many of them did take precautions, it seems that we certainly kept people safe in those centres and I'm very pleased about that.". What damage did it cause. Yasi is one of the most powerful cyclones to have affected Queensland since records commenced. Cyclone Yasi was the strongest cyclone to hit North Queensland since 1918. Local councillor Ross Sorbello ventured out of the car in which he was sheltering. That’s why many people were scared that the damage would be more devastating than Cyclone Tracy or even Cyclone Larry which hit Australia in 1974 and 2006 respectively. Due to the cyclone, most of the banana plantations in the Queensland tropical area were destroyed, and Queensland is the 3rd biggest banana contributor so it will effect 90% of Australia. Two other babies were also born during the storm in the town of Innisfail, which had taken the brunt of cyclone Larry five years ago. Cyclone Yasi, the first category 5 storm to hit the Australian coast since 1918, devastated a series of small towns in north Queensland overnight. It can send flying debris into houses. Yasi caused devastation along the coast of Queensland, from Cairns to Ayr, leaving behind damage to the flora and fauna as well as the built environment: homes, businesses and vehicles. Approximately 13% of the reef were exposed to Cyclone Yasi, from Cairns to Townsville (ABC, 2011). In Cairns, some residents said they could not afford to leave the city because the cost of flights to Brisbane soared to $1,500 in the final hours before the airport closed yesterday. Yesterday, there were scenes of dismay as people were turned away from evacuation centres in Cairns. "Many things are still unknown and many people are still in danger," she said. Yasi, however, was more widespread and certainly caused more flooding. Federal payments for cyclone victims will remain at the same contemptible levels as for the floods: $1,000 per adult and $400 per child for people evacuated from their homes or whose homes are seriously damaged. Twenty miles south of Mission Beach, the small town of Tully was also badly hit by the cyclone. Media reports were out in full force early on that this storm could be “one of the worst” of all time. Car crushed by a tree in Townsville Tropical Cyclone Yasi was a tropical cyclone that caused a lot of damage when it reached the Australian coast at about midnight on Wednesday 2 February 2011. Yasi is one of the most powerful cyclones to have affected Queensland since records commenced. By the time Yasi crossed into Australian basin, preparations for the storm were under way. Cyclone Yasi hit the Queensland Coast, in the Mission beach area on 3 February 2011 as a category 5 cyclone. Cyclone Tracy was worse than Yasi in terms of the number of deaths and the amount of destruction caused. "It does seem Cairns has been spared the worst and that's a great relief," Bligh told local television. The baby's mother, Akiko Pruss, went into labour at 2.45am local time. The extent of the damage remains unclear because emergency crews were this morning still cutting their way into the worst-hit towns of Cardwell, Mission Beach and Silkwood. The drive for private profit has contributed to many aspects of the disaster. “You can’t accommodate 75,000 people in these sorts of shelters, that could never happen, you always need to expect that some people will be sheltering in their own homes,” she said. A natural disaster, a natural destructive force that impacts on the people and their environment in that area, like Cyclone Yasi can cause billions worth of damage. The Innisfail cyclone caused damage estimated at £300 000 and a 10 000 ton shortfall in the cane crop. Tropical Cyclone Yasi: Structural damage to buildings | James Cook University Cyclone Testing Station (PDF 4.0MB) Tropical Cyclone Yasi (TC Yasi) made landfall in the early hours of Thursday 3 February 2011 with the eye passing over the Mission Beach region. Yasi has in some way disrupted 60% of all Australian businesses. Cyclone Idai wiped out roads, bridges, and dams as it swept through Southeast Africa. “I thought we packed up and were prepared fairly well. 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