Australian Cyclone Still Causing Problems

One person has now been confirmed dead. Another washed away by flood watersmiraculously emerged from the mangroves, where he rode out the storm.It is simply amazing more people weren't killed during the widespreaddestruction in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Yasi's thunderous landfall onnorthern Queensland, Australia, Wednesday.

Yasi has dissipated, but the remnants are still bringing widespread heavyrainfall to Australia's Outback Friday.

The eye of Yasi crossed the shore at Mission Beach, a small community betweenCairns and Townsville. Another town, Tully, was also struck head-on.

Estimates are that highest winds at landfall were up to 285 kmh, or 175 mph,and an unofficial gust of 220 kmh, or 137 mph, was reported at Innisfail.

Rainfall was 8 to 16 inches, or 20 to 40 cm, with more than 20 inches measuredat South Mission Beach.

Resorts on Bedarra and Dunk islands, in the direct path of the eye at landfall,were extensively damaged, according to management. Guests had been evacuated,and all were said to be accounted for. Some staff apparently weathered thestorm on Bedarra, and reports said they were prevented from leaving ahead ofYasi.

A house is destroyed in Tully,Australia, Thursday, Feb. 3, 2011, after Cyclone Yasi brought heavy rain andhowling winds gusting to 186 mph (300 kph). The most powerful storm in acentury ripped across Australia's northeast coast early Thursday, blastingapart houses, laying waste to banana crops and leaving boats lying in thestreets of wave-washed, windswept towns. (AP Photo/Rick Rycroft)Storm tides battered oceanfront property. In Cardwell, a town a bit south ofthe landfall, a high storm tide with powerful onshore winds reportedly raftedboats as far as two blocks inland from the harbor. Houses and other buildingswere unroofed, and a few were destroyed outright, say reports.

Utilities took a hit in the storm's direct path, as many mobile phone towerswere not working, and some sewerage systems were reportedly out.

But at least one eyewitness is on record as saying that Yasi's lash was not asbad as it could have been. This storm chaser, who has witnessed other cyclones,is quoted as suggesting that the low extent of damage was surprising, given thesheer size and intensity of the cyclone. He attributed the low overallstructural damage to the sparseness of settlement in the area.

It also bears noting that the flooding rain from Yasi fell well north of theparts of Queensland devastated by floods of late December into January.

Meanwhile, threat of flooding rain will persist through the weekend as theremnants move slowly from the Northern Territory into South Australia.

Moisture from Yasi has been drawn into a cold front situated across SouthAustralia and flood-ravaged Victoria. This resulted in more than 7 inches ofrainfall across parts of Victoria including areas very close to Melbourne.

The flash flooding also lead to travel problems as many roadways were closed aswell as trees being blown across roads. Trains were also delayed due to theflooding.

The good news is the rain is coming to an end and several days of dry weatherare expected from Sunday through early next week.