Cyclone Yasi began as a tropical low on the northwest side of Fiji (an island country in the Pacific Ocean) on the 29th of January. It started moving in a general westward track the same day. The system intensified to a cyclone category when nearing the north of Vanuatu and was named Cyclone Yasi by Fiji meteorological service at 10pm on January 30th. The system kept intensifying until it category 4 on the 1st of February at 7pm, when during this time it made a more west-southwestward direction toward the Queensland’s coast. It further strengthened to a category 5 (just marginally) where it hit Mission beach at 1pm on Thursday the 3rd of February.
How was Cyclone Yasi Created? Cyclone Yasi began as many other tropical cyclones, as a low pressure system in the Pacific Ocean, days before the actual event of the cyclone. Tropical cyclones are formed over warm, deep tropical water. The water’s temperature has to be above 26.5°C and at least 50m deep. The cyclone is caused by the high temperature increasing the evaporation of water and once the gas hit the cooler temperatures of the ocean atmosphere it increases and encourages the activity of thunderstorms. Due to the rotation of the earth and the pre-existing movement of water (caused by the water cycle and the movement of warm and cold air) the water begins to rotate.
Impacts of the disaster
Environmental Cyclone Yasi caused major environmental issues. The parks and forests within Yasi’s path suffered extensive damage with tree falls, severe damage to trees which include: loss of branches, epiphytes and vines and leaf stripping off the canopy. Cyclone Yasi stripped leaves off the canopies of trees although the tropical trees have learned to adapt to this environmental disaster by having undeveloped shoots ready to grow quickly to fill the holes in the destroyed canopy.
The most worrying impact on the natural environment was the effect the cyclone had on two endangered species: the Southern Cassowary and the Mahogany Glider and their critically endangered habitat: the Littoral Rainforest (Natural Resource Management, 2012). These species live in a fragmented strip of lowland sclerophyll (type of vegetation that has hard leaves and short internodes) forest between Townsville and Tully.
First assessments showed that about 50% of the Southern Cassowary habitat was severely affected by destructive winds. Apart from that, the species natural diet was severely impacted by cyclone Yasi, destroying canopy fruits, which caused a severe food shortage for the cassowary population that lasted for months after the cyclone. Thankfully, supplementary feeding was placed in key locations that lasted up to 12-18 months and up until the Littoral Rainforest recovered enough to produce fruits to completely feed the species.
Although DERM (Department of Environmental Resources and Management) have responded with a Mahogany Glider Response Program, the species numbers were expected to drop for the next 3 years (Natural Resource Management, 2012).
Cyclone Yasi also caused serious damage to some parts of the Great Barrier Reef. Approximately 13% of the reef was exposed to Cyclone Yasi, starting from Cairns to Townsville. Marine specialists from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) assessed the initial damage and found that Cyclone Yasi had left varying levels of destruction to 300km of 2400km-long reef.
The strong storm course washed toxic chemicals and unhealthy debris into the ocean around the Great Barrier Reef. Experts predicted that it will take up to 20 years for the Reef to fully recover.
Also, initial assessments in Queensland indicated that Yasi wiped out as much as 90 percent of the banana crops which took 12-18 months to fully get back up to production.
Overall, Cyclone Yasi has caused major impact to the coast environment of Queensland. Over 300km of the Great Barrier Reef had been damaged, hungry and wandering wildlife found, loss of vegetation and the spread of weeds from clean-up equipment.
Economic Cyclone Yasi was intensely powerful in terms of measuring its economic impact to Australia. In total, the damages were estimated at close to 3.6 billion dollars. The overall damage measured by insurers puts Cyclone Yasi as one of the worst to ever hit Australia.
Cyclone Yasi caused major disruption to 10% of businesses nationally, and 25% of businesses in Queensland. Yasi has in some way disrupted 60% of all Australian businesses. This means a slowing down of economic activity, also known as GDP (gross domestic product).
The most affected industries by Cyclone Yasi are construction, retail, farming and mining. For example, Queensland produces 80% of Australia’s coking coal exports, which represents 8% of Australia's total exports; the flood after-effects will slow down some mines for months. The farming industry has been widely affected with the banana crops and the sugar cane crops being nearly wiped out by Cyclone Yasi. Cyclone Yasi damaged 75% of Australia’s banana supply, which meant that there were less banana supplies but constant demand resulting in higher prices.
Tourism in Queensland could of lost up to $300 million. The latest Treasury data estimates the impact on national agriculture to be about $1 billion. In total, these and other losses will hit $6 billion – just under 0.5% of Australia’s GDP.
Cyclone Yasi also impacted on the Insurances. A lot of insurances had to be payed back due to the loss of home etc. Also natural disasters over the past two years makes Australia a riskier place, meaning insurance companies will probably increase premiums.
Cyclone Yasi also destroyed over 150 homes and many roads which means extra funds were needed in order to fix the destroyed infrastructure.
Social During Cyclone Yasi many people were evacuated around the regions in which the cyclone hit. These regions run from the Cairns to Ayr. Cyclone Yasi destructed; homes, schools, roads and shops. Before Yasi hit, there were precautions taken such as airlifting people from impacted hospitals as well as massive warnings to evacuate homes and areas in the projected path.
Cyclone Yasi destroyed 150 homes and left another 650 uninhabitable, further 2,275 homes sustained moderate and about 55,000 homes were left without power. Houses have been ripped apart, roofs torn off, power and communications cut and crops flattened.
Those left without homes were temporarily placed in places such as homes, schools and libraries and were provided with all needs.
Although no one was killed, many communities and facilities were torn apart due to the great damage. Moreover, a number of citizens were injured. As Yasi left many residents without homes or power, it has caused pressure to families to start all over again and regain all their resources.
One of the social impacts of the Cyclone was that Australia showed a great resolve on a national level. Everyone participated in helping and assisting those affected by the destruction of cyclone Yasi.