Australia Sighs Relieved After Cyclone Killed None

Added by James Morley on February 4, 2011

Cyclone Yasi, a level five storm which was expected to sweep the northern coast of Australia yesterday, has been relatively easy and caused no deaths, although it toppled trees and tore off roofs.

The cyclone was expected to hit Queensland on Wednesday, but Yasi spared heavily populated areas where winds of up to 300 km per hour were expected. However, Yasi was not completely merciful as it did destroy approximately 15 per cent of Australia’s sugar cane crop.

Due to the percentage of sugar cane crop destroyed, world prices went as high as they did in the last 30 years. Also, the Mt Isa copper mine belonging to Xstrata Plc was evacuated once Yasi headed towards it.

Residents are amazed that no one was killed in the storm. However, experts are not yet sure if Yasi was a category five cyclone since, if that was the case, it would have wiped everything that stood in its path.

“If winds were at 300 km an hour it would have been a 100 percent wipe out. Even the newer buildings would by and large stay up but suffer some damage,” stated for Reuters building engineer George Walker from the James Cook University.