Australians Evacuate as 'Life-Threatening' Cyclone Aims for NE Coast
Military helicopters evacuated hospital patients Tuesday as authorities ordered thousands of people to flee a powerful, "life-threatening" cyclone roaring toward waterlogged northeast Australia.
Cyclone Yasi was forecast to directly hit the far northern city of Cairns late Wednesday with wind gusts up to 155 mph, the Bureau of Meteorology said. Up to three feet (one meter) of rain could fall on communities in Queensland state already saturated from months of flooding.
"This storm is huge and it is life-threatening," Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said. "I know many of us will feel that Queensland has already borne about as much as we can bear when it comes to disasters and storms, but more is being asked of us — and I am confident that we are able to rise to this next challenge."
More than 9,000 people in low-lying and coastal parts of Cairns have been ordered to evacuate their homes as the sea is expected to surge at least 6.5 feet (two meters) and flood significant parts of the city.
Bligh said the military would airlift 250 patients from the waterfront Cairns Base and Cairns Private hospitals to Brisbane, the state capital. Elderly care homes were also being evacuated.
Many people were deciding on their own to leave, said Ian Stewart, the state's disaster coordinator. "In reality, we would like people to get as far south as possible, as quickly as possible, without of course breaking the rules," he told reporters.
Another storm, Cyclone Anthony, hit Queensland early Monday but quickly weakened and did little more than uproot some trees and damage power lines.
The Queensland floods killed 35 people since November, damaged or destroyed 30,000 homes and businesses and left Brisbane, Australia's third-largest city, under water for days.
Yasi's forecast path is farther north, sparing Brisbane and towns worst-hit by the past floods. Still, Bligh said the storm's path could change and residents up and down the coast needed to prepare.
"We could see very powerful flash flooding that will be dangerous and potentially deadly," she said.
Stewart said residents should be prepared with flashlights, food and water.
"Please make no mistake: this storm is a deadly event," Stewart said. "Now is the time to act."(AP)
Source: Agence France Presse
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