HOLY *&%$*! All Our Aussie Friends Still Here?

[zacker]

some scarey stuff right here... Dang!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060319/wl_asia_afp/australiaweather

-zacker-

[skade]

Yeah I was just watching it on the news... my niece is over there. Im trying to get in touch with her now. Scarey ey! (Im on the other side of Australia)

[cjm]

I wonder why they call Huricanes in the Pacific Cyclones? And if a huricane travels from the Gulf of Mexico over to the Pacific does it turn into a Cyclone? Sorry just thinking out loud. Looks like nasty weather there, makes the foot of snow look not too bad that we just got up here.

[Longwatcher]

The below copied from a NOAA site
"hurricane" (the North Atlantic Ocean, the Northeast Pacific Ocean east of the dateline, or the South Pacific Ocean east of 160E)
"typhoon" (the Northwest Pacific Ocean west of the dateline)
"severe tropical cyclone" (the Southwest Pacific Ocean west of 160E or Southeast Indian Ocean east of 90E)
"severe cyclonic storm" (the North Indian Ocean)
"tropical cyclone" (the Southwest Indian Ocean)

[In2Photos]

The below copied from a NOAA site
"hurricane" (the North Atlantic Ocean, the Northeast Pacific Ocean east of the dateline, or the South Pacific Ocean east of 160E)
"typhoon" (the Northwest Pacific Ocean west of the dateline)
"severe tropical cyclone" (the Southwest Pacific Ocean west of 160E or Southeast Indian Ocean east of 90E)
"severe cyclonic storm" (the North Indian Ocean)
"tropical cyclone" (the Southwest Indian Ocean)

I also believe that hurricanes rotate counter clockwise, while cyclones rotate clockwise.

I hope that all are ok as well. After the year the US just had with hurricanes I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

[Tom W]

Regardless of the title, this storm apparently brought 180 mile per hour winds near its eyewall. Nasty storm!

[Becca]

I was thinking of all the POTNer's down under and hoping they are all ok. Our best wishes are with all of you!

[Carzee]

FNQ gets cyclones every year, some really bad ones every now and then, just like Florida I suppose. The trailer park crowd make tracks outta there as soon as the alert is out. The boats are shifted to sheltered rivers in the hills behind the coast. The roofs are usually sheet metal with cyclone proof nuts and bolts, no nails etc. There are standards. If this same storm hits a pacific island nation they are just flattened. Aussie governments learnt lessons from Cyclone Tracey back in 1975 which flattened Darwin into oblivion.

[R Hardman]

fyi...Hurricanes that cross the date line do turn into Typhoons. As far as 180+ winds go, I was on Okinawa when Super Typhoon Bart skimmed the island. The eye was still 27 miles off shore but we got 176mph winds. The power stayed on the whole time and the buildings stay intact. Even the windows. Everytime I see the Gulf or the Eastern Coast get hit with a little Cat I, I say here we go again. Stick houses and trailer parks just to be built cheaper to get creamed again. Why can't we learn from the rest of the world? To those down under, stay safe!!!!. Sounds like your building codes are good to go.

[zacker]

Thats the problem.. Every year florida gets hit and you would think that the government would say, "Hey, this is the way were doing it from now on... " and procede to put strict building codes in place and get rid of the damn trailer parks, they arent nothing but Hurricane magnets.
-zacker-

[Tom W]

Thats the problem.. Every year florida gets hit and you would think that the government would say, "Hey, this is the way were doing it from now on... " and procede to put strict building codes in place and get rid of the damn trailer parks, they arent nothing but Hurricane magnets.
-zacker-

Florida has changed building codes over the last 10-15 years, but most don't apply to trailers (though I believe that there are some newer laws there as well). The trailer parks do seem to attract hurricanes and tornados and such, though. But I think it's up to the individual to decide if they want to take the risk of living in one.

[::John::]

and, in spite of other comments made, most houses in the Innesfail area had their roofs ripped off

It is a disaster area and the aid program has swung into action - water, food, bedding... all being flown in on military aircraft...

The area where Larry hit is in the main banana growing area for Australia - approximately 95% of Australias banana growing capacity has been destroyed - along with the 4000 jobs that went with it...

There are some terrible pictures of damage being shown - many people were just lucky to escape with their lives - and speaking of that - so far, no fatalities have been announced.

[Tom W]

and, in spite of other comments made, most houses in the Innesfail area had their roofs ripped off

It is a disaster area and the aid program has swung into action - water, food, bedding... all being flown in on military aircraft...

The area where Larry hit is in the main banana growing area for Australia - approximately 95% of Australias banana growing capacity has been destroyed - along with the 4000 jobs that went with it...

There are some terrible pictures of damage being shown - many people were just lucky to escape with their lives - and speaking of that - so far, no fatalities have been announced.

Thanks for the update, KiwiBloke.

These huge storms are incredibly strong. We joke about trailer parks here in the US, but in reality, each year, the states of Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Lousiana, and/or Texas get a strong storm or two and suffers significant structural damage. And the damage isn't limited to trailer parks - permanent structures lose roofs or are totally flattened by winds and floodwaters. Last year's Katrina was among the strongest and most devastating, and the most talked-about in this country in many years.

There's no reason to assume that the results aren't equally bad in Australia or anywhere else where such storms hit. You can build structures to withstand strong winds, but there's a limit both in cost and useability that restricts how well a building withstands such a storm. Hopefully, most everybody in Australia got out of the area prior to the storm.