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.
Untold numbers of trees were mowed down, and the area banana crop wasreportedly devastated.