You can also play Dark Warriors on
Back to post list
Back a step


Sponge_Bobble
Posts: 1,124
Status: Duke

Karma: +152
[+1] [-1]

Offline

 Subject: Update on Situation in Australia
I hate to be the bearer of more bad news... but seeing as not much news of this seems to have reached overseas as of yet, someone has to say something.

By now, most of you are aware of Queensland's situation. For the past few weeks, it has suffered floods throughout many large areas, wiping out towns as they pass through. Many of us thought this is the worst we would get for the time being...

... We were dead wrong.

For the past 3 or 4 days, Australia has been receiving updates, and much of Queensland evacuating its occupants, for the coming of something far worse - Cyclone Yasi.

I told a few people the other night that this was one of the worst cyclones we've had. Well, I was wrong. This is THE worst we've had in a hundred years, on an unprecedented scale. Let me put this in perspective for some of you...

Back in the 70's or 80's, before my time, Queensland was hit by Cyclone Larry. (Thanks to Ziggy for correcting that ) The eye of the cyclone was 5 kilometres wide, the entire thing being around 25km, from what I know. It hit quite a few of the northern towns, and it took months for them to recover.

... The eye of Cyclone Yasi is 100km wide. The cyclone itself 500km. Winds in excess of 280-320km/h, causing waves of over 7 metres high.

Cyclones are separated into categories, the worst being Category 5. Cyclone Yasi has been classified category 5, but in my opinion it's on a whole other scale. Just off the coast of Queensland, we have a weather tower. This tower is built to withstand even Category 5 cyclones and hurricanes intact, and it has done before.

That is to say, it was. This morning it was hit by Cyclone Yasi. There's now nothing left of the tower - Totally destroyed. Yasi makes Category 5 look like a puff of smoke.

Cyclone Tracy devastated quite a few towns when it hit Queensland. When Yasi hits, it's going to hit around a third of Queensland, and leave it looking like the weather tower.

And it's due to hit tonight.

Even now, though, 8 hours away, the gale force winds from Yasi are already ripping up trees and roofs from houses. I shudder to think what will happen when we get hit with the full force of Cyclone Yasi.

For those with friends and relatives in Queensland (such as I have, as well), don't expect word from them. Queensland has been evacuating for the past few days, and in the meantime, all communication has been cut. Anyone still there... doesn't stand a good chance of surviving.

As for the rest of us, let us pray and hope that our friends have gotten far enough away to stay safe.






EDIT: It seems the picture above is being updated with Yasi's location, seeing as it's switched from off the coast to over Queensland. So if anyone's interested to see where Cyclone Yasi is, take a peek every now and then.
Time Posted: February 1 2011 11:03 pm EST
Last updated: February 3 2011 06:22 pm EST


Replies:

Add reply:
Subject:
Body: