Australians evacuate as cyclone aims for NE coast

[February 01, 2011]  SYDNEY, Australia (AP) -- Military helicopters evacuated hospital patients Tuesday as authorities ordered thousands of people to flee a powerful, "life-threatening" cyclone roaring toward waterlogged northeast Australia.

Cyclone Yasi was forecast to directly hit the far northern city of Cairns late Wednesday with damaging wind gusts up to 155 miles per hour (250 kilometers per hour), the Bureau of Meteorology said. Up to 3 feet (1 meter) of rain could fall on communities in Queensland state already saturated from months of flooding.

"This storm is huge and it is life-threatening," Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said. "I know many of us will feel that Queensland has already borne about as much as we can bear when it comes to disasters and storms, but more is being asked of us -- and I am confident that we are able to rise to this next challenge."

More than 9,000 people in low-lying and coastal parts of Cairns have been ordered to evacuate their homes as the sea is expected to surge at least 6.5 feet (two meters) and flood significant parts of the city.

Bligh said the military would airlift 250 patients from the waterfront Cairns Base and Cairns Private hospitals to Brisbane, the state capital. Elderly care homes were also being evacuated.

Many people in the city of 164,000 were deciding on their own to leave, said Ian Stewart, the state's disaster coordinator.

"In reality, we would like people to get as far south as possible, as quickly as possible, without of course breaking the rules," he told reporters.

Airlines were arranging extra flights Tuesday night, with the airport due to close Wednesday morning until further notice. Tourists who had been evacuated from beach resorts cut short their holidays and flew home.

Another storm, Cyclone Anthony, hit Queensland early Monday but quickly weakened and did little more than uproot some trees and damage power lines.

The Queensland floods killed 35 people since November, damaged or destroyed 30,000 homes and businesses and left Brisbane, Australia's third-largest city, under water for days.

Yasi's forecast path is farther north, sparing Brisbane and towns worst-hit by the past floods. Still, Bligh said the storm's path could change and residents up and down the coast needed to prepare.

"We could see very powerful flash flooding that will be dangerous and potentially deadly," she said.

Stewart said residents should be prepared with flashlights, food and water.

"Please make no mistake: This storm is a deadly event," Stewart said. "Now is the time to act."

In Cairns, residents stocked up on food and supplies ahead of the storm.

Mayor Val Schier said some people were running behind with their preparations, despite the warnings.

"Some people have left it very late," she said. "They were complacent and didn't heed the warnings."

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Online:

Bureau of Meteorology:
http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/index.shtml

[Associated Press; By KRISTEN GELINEAU]

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