OT Australia facing Cyclone

Hi everyone,
I know this is completely off topic, but we would like your support and your prayers.
Not sure if your news would cover this, but northern Australia is facing a Category 5 Cyclone. Cyclone Yasi is off the north eastern coast of Queensland, due to hit in about 9 hours. (10pm local time) Winds of 300km/hour (190 miles/ hour) are expected with a storm surge of 7 metres (23 feet), and about 20 inches of rain. The cyclone is estimated to be at least 600 km wide (375 miles!!) with strong winds expected over more than 1000 km of the coast, and inland as well. This is the worst cyclone since 1918. The 'eye' of the cyclone is 50km wide (that's over 30 miles). By the time it makes it 300 km's inland it will still be a category 3.

Residents of Townsville, Cairns, Innisfail, and all towns expected to be affected have been evacuated, or people moved to safe evacuation centres. Hospital patients have been evacuated to Brisbane. Emergency services are doing a great job, and are as prepared as they can be. Airports are now closed, roads will be closed shortly, and those left are preparing as best they can.

Once again our beautiful country is under threat from the incredible forces of nature. Southern Queensland and Brisbane are just starting to get their lives back together after the major floods, and the rebuilding will take years, and parts of Victoria in the south are still under water from flooding there. In NSW we are facing bushfires in many areas, but thankfully not too bad.

If anyone is interested, there is more info here:
http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weath ... 1acgp.html

Please, please, pray for us, for all those who will be affected in so many ways, That it won't be any worse than predicted, That it will pass quickly, That there will be no loss of life.
Thanks you all.

P.S. I don't live anywhere near this, so am quite safe thankfully, but as an Aussie, I am very concerned for those who are threatened by this disaster.

Having been there, and done that in 2005, when Hurricane Katrina (also Cat 5) walked over and destroyed New Orleans and large parts of southern Louisiana and southern Mississippi, the folks in the way of this storm have my sincere and profound prayers for their safety.

I am very concerned for all of you..Lets hope it blows out of the area!

I extend my thoughts and prayers as well to Australia. I spent a week in the Townsville to Cairns area back in 1985; beautiful people and beautiful country. I don't want to imagine what this is going to do.

It seems Queensland can't catch a break at all this year. My heart and prayers go out to all.

Praying for the safety of your country.

Somehow I hadn't heard that. Scary stuff there. I just stopped complaining about the snow and ice.
Prayerfully,
Kathy

Dimples, ....('Not sure if your news would cover this') .....Oh yes,..... I also visit - http://saweatherobserver.blogspot.com/ (SA Weather and Disaster Information Service, SA) many times during the day BECAUSE what we have here in South Africa is also very unusual. Terrible droughts (my area) Flooding and flooding again in eastern central SA. (Orange and Vaal Rivers) Many, many people out of their homes - problems!, problems! La Nina ?
Farmers and residents all over the world need our prayers. There are many South Africans that now live in Australia - so your weather 'disasters' also concern us and
we feel for you all. Please stay safe.

Hi Everybody

Thank you all for your good wishes.

The latest news is at -

http://www.abc.net.au/news/

http://www.sbs.com.au/

We already have bushfires in Victoria, and that is what I am preparing for.

Mars

THOUGHTS TO ALL OF YOU IN AUSTRALIA - Johan Terblanche, Mossel Bay, South Africa writes,

'The last communique with Mike Hanslow our SAWDIS Observer in Cairns, Australia was on the 1 February 2011. Mike wrote: "There is a cat 4 cyclone heading for Cairns in the next 36 hours. I guess I better go home and secure the old redoubt."

Mike also provided a link of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology to the SAWDIS. The cyclone is now classified as a Category 5 cyclone and is expected to make landfall later today.

Mike, Libby and the Hanslow family who live in Cairns - Keep safe from Cyclone Yasi. Our thoughts are with you all in Australia and we hope to receive an update report from Mike soon.'

J. Terblanche
Founder: SAWDIS
Mossel Bay
Posted by SAWDIS at 2/02/2011 08:17:00 AM

Breaking news - 1.01 am 3 February 2011 - http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/fl ... 5998711771

Thanks everyone. The worst of Cyclone Yasi has hit the coast, but still heading inland. Still very strong winds and too much rain in lots of places.
Nearly 200,000 homes without power, too many homes totally destroyed, infrastructure destroyed. Some towns 90% destroyed.
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/fl ... 5998711771

BUT . . . no lives lost and no serious injuries reported yet. Thank God.

And reports say that there were 3 babies born last night during the worst part of the cyclone - 2 at Innisfail hospital,(one of the worst hit areas) and 1 baby girl was born at an evacuation centre. So even amidst all this destruction, there is new life.

Please keep us in your prayers - there's still a lot of force in this cyclone, there's more flooding coming, and then there's the clean-up, and the heartbreak of so many in the days to come, when they return to what's left of their homes and businesses.

Thanks to you all.

I am praying for you and we just got home from our Wednesday night service where my church prayed for all of you.
GOD BLESS YOU!