Tweet
2 February 2011
Last updated at 22:46 ET
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.
Penny Gross from Ravenshoe in Queensland, said the winds "were like a huge freight train"
The Australian state of Queensland is counting the cost as a powerful cyclone carves a trail of destruction across the north-east.
Cyclone Yasi struck the coast south of the city of Cairns at about midnight, ripping roofs from houses and toppling trees and power lines.
Small communities bore the brunt of winds up to 290km/h (180mph) as the storm swept inland slowly weakening.
About 30,000 people have been evacuated from Yasi's path and taken to shelters.
Others spent a terrifying night in their homes as the colossal cyclone - the most powerful to hit the area in nearly a century - roared overhead and lashed them with rain.
'Relieved' Officials in Cairns said the city had been spared the worst of the storm. Mayor Val Schier said: "We're very relieved."
It was different story in coastal communities further south including Mission Beach, Tully, Cardwell and Innisfail.
Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh said she was "very relieved" that early reports indicated there had been not been any deaths or serious injuries.
However, she added that early assessments in Tully indicate "that 90% of the buildings in that area are extensively damaged".
With many power lines down, reports from the stricken areas were still coming in.
But Tully resident Ross Sorbello told the Sydney Morning Herald the town was a "scene of mass devastation".
Mr Sorbello, who briefly went outside as the eye of the storm passed over, said roofs were ripped from houses, electricity poles were down and the streets were covered with debris.
Tully resident Stephanie Grimaz said that houses in her street had been torn apart, the Queensland Times reported.
"The flat from across the street is in our front yard and we can see other houses which have just been destroyed," she said.
Other residents in Tully described tree tops being shredded by winds that roared like jet engines, and water being forced under doors by the pressure.
Queensland police said that Tully hospital had lost part of its roof, but all patients and staff were unharmed.
Police were asking drivers to stay at home and keep the roads clear for the emergency services.
On Thursday, the cyclone was continuing its south-westerly path across the state heading for Georgetown and Charters Towers.
Yasi was classed as a category five cyclone as it crossed the coast - the highest grade in the scale used to measure such storms.
Dangerous The Australian Bureau of Meteorology later downgraded the storm to category four and then to category three and two, but still classified it as dangerous.
Cyclone Yasi made landfall between Innisfail and Cardwell at around midnight local time (1400 GMT Wednesday).
The eye of the storm was reported to be 35km (22 miles) in width, with a front stretching across 650km (400 miles). The core of the cyclone took four hours to pass overhead.
On Wednesday, Queensland disaster co-ordinator Ian Stewart had warned residents they would be on their own during the coming hours as it was too dangerous to send out emergency workers.
He told Australian television that deaths were "very likely" and there would be "significant destruction of buildings".
Prime Minister Julia Gillard described the storm as a "cyclone of savagery and intensity".
Many had feared that Yasi could be worse than Cyclone Tracy, which hit Darwin on Christmas Eve in 1974 and killed 71 people.
The cyclone follows the worst floods in Queensland's history, triggered by tropical storms which have battered the south of the state since the end of November.
Have you been affected? Send us your experiences using the form below:
Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7725 100 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.
Read the terms and conditions
Powered By WizardRSS
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play.Penny Gross from Ravenshoe in Queensland, said the winds "were like a huge freight train"
The Australian state of Queensland is counting the cost as a powerful cyclone carves a trail of destruction across the north-east.
Cyclone Yasi struck the coast south of the city of Cairns at about midnight, ripping roofs from houses and toppling trees and power lines.
Small communities bore the brunt of winds up to 290km/h (180mph) as the storm swept inland slowly weakening.
About 30,000 people have been evacuated from Yasi's path and taken to shelters.
Others spent a terrifying night in their homes as the colossal cyclone - the most powerful to hit the area in nearly a century - roared overhead and lashed them with rain.
'Relieved' Officials in Cairns said the city had been spared the worst of the storm. Mayor Val Schier said: "We're very relieved."
It was different story in coastal communities further south including Mission Beach, Tully, Cardwell and Innisfail.
Queensland state Premier Anna Bligh said she was "very relieved" that early reports indicated there had been not been any deaths or serious injuries.
However, she added that early assessments in Tully indicate "that 90% of the buildings in that area are extensively damaged".
With many power lines down, reports from the stricken areas were still coming in.
But Tully resident Ross Sorbello told the Sydney Morning Herald the town was a "scene of mass devastation".
Mr Sorbello, who briefly went outside as the eye of the storm passed over, said roofs were ripped from houses, electricity poles were down and the streets were covered with debris.
Tully resident Stephanie Grimaz said that houses in her street had been torn apart, the Queensland Times reported.
"The flat from across the street is in our front yard and we can see other houses which have just been destroyed," she said.
Other residents in Tully described tree tops being shredded by winds that roared like jet engines, and water being forced under doors by the pressure.
Queensland police said that Tully hospital had lost part of its roof, but all patients and staff were unharmed.
Police were asking drivers to stay at home and keep the roads clear for the emergency services.
On Thursday, the cyclone was continuing its south-westerly path across the state heading for Georgetown and Charters Towers.
Yasi was classed as a category five cyclone as it crossed the coast - the highest grade in the scale used to measure such storms.
Dangerous The Australian Bureau of Meteorology later downgraded the storm to category four and then to category three and two, but still classified it as dangerous.
Cyclone Yasi made landfall between Innisfail and Cardwell at around midnight local time (1400 GMT Wednesday).
The eye of the storm was reported to be 35km (22 miles) in width, with a front stretching across 650km (400 miles). The core of the cyclone took four hours to pass overhead.
On Wednesday, Queensland disaster co-ordinator Ian Stewart had warned residents they would be on their own during the coming hours as it was too dangerous to send out emergency workers.
He told Australian television that deaths were "very likely" and there would be "significant destruction of buildings".
Prime Minister Julia Gillard described the storm as a "cyclone of savagery and intensity".
Many had feared that Yasi could be worse than Cyclone Tracy, which hit Darwin on Christmas Eve in 1974 and killed 71 people.
The cyclone follows the worst floods in Queensland's history, triggered by tropical storms which have battered the south of the state since the end of November.
Have you been affected? Send us your experiences using the form below:
Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 (UK) or +44 7725 100 100 (International). If you have a large file you can upload here.
Read the terms and conditions
Powered By WizardRSS