North Queensland town ‘a scene of mass devastation’
By staff reporters, with AAP and Reuters
February 3, 2011 – 3:08AM The north Queensland town of Tully is a scene of mass devastation with roofs torn from houses and power poles knocked over by the powerful category 5 Cyclone Yasi. Yasi crossed the North Queensland coast near Mission Beach, north of Tully, at midnight (AEST), bringing with it dangerous storms and battering waves to the south of the massive storm’s centre. Cassowary Coast councillor Ross Sorbello said the roof had been torn from his mother’s house in Tully, where he was waiting out the storm, and local properties had suffered similar damage. “We are talking about a pretty strong brick house that was built in the 70s, so god help us in the morning when we look at some of the older places,” he said. Mr Sorbello ventured outside briefly during the eye of the storm to assess the damage and said the streets were strewn with debris while power poles had been knocked over. “It is just a scene of mass devastation,” he said. “(Cyclone) Larry was a boy compared to this.” …
