By
Graham Davis
Volume
48, No. 5, April 6, 2006
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Hour
of need: An Air Force Caribou arrives with much-needed troops
and supplies.
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Photo
by CPL Rachel Ingram
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THOUSANDS
of Defence personnel, both uniformed and civilian, answered the
call to help North Queensland residents left homeless, hungry
and traumatised by Tropical Cyclone Larry late last month.
Towns between Cairns and Tully and inland to the Atherton Tableland
were devastated, along with hectare upon hectare of valuable crops,
when Cyclone Larry hit at dawn on Monday, March 20.
Floodwaters — as much as 300mms in 24 hours — added
to the misery.
Power,
water supplies and telephones were cut to many and it may be six
months before these basic services are restored at some remote
properties.
A special committee led by former CDF MAJGEN Peter Cosgrove has
been sent in to coordinate the relief of the affected region —
said to be half the size of Tasmania with a damage bill expected
to reach $1 billion dollars.
Not dissimilar to the Biblical account of daubing paint above
the lintel for the night of the Passover, such was the grim sight
of a hastily painted yellow “no” on homes ravaged by
Larry.
The “no” was to alert follow-up rescue and salvage teams
the building was unsafe to enter, let alone provide habitation.
There was better news for those who had a yellow “tick”
or “yes” adorning a front window or fence, as this meant
the building was safe and could provide shelter.
The system of “yes” and “no” was implemented
by a team of Queensland fire service urban search and rescue personnel.
The firefighters were in towns devastated by the 295km/h cyclone
within hours of its passing. They went from house to house looking
first for casualties and then to determine if the building was
safe and could be occupied.
The ADF was also quick to respond to the call for help. When roads
were cut and the “need for speed” was required to get
vital supplies into the devastated area, the Air Force was called
upon.
Ground support personnel set up on the airfield and Caribou and
Hercules aircraft were scrambled to shuttle supplies to the Innisfail
aerodrome (see story page 3).
The Air Force assets joined helicopters from the Army and Navy,
along with civilian rescue and support planes, both rotary and
fixed wing.
Sailors from HMAS Cairns were also quickly out and about with
chainsaws clearing fallen trees and collecting debris.
Three warships, HMA Ships Labuan, Tarakan and Wewak — one
carrying a generator — were put to sea to help at the entrance
to the Johnstone River (Innisfail is upstream).
Later the French frigate FS Prairial arrived in Cairns with her
captain offering the services of 50 sailors and the ship’s
helicopter for cyclone tasks.
A Seahawk helicopter, which happened to be in the north, was tasked
to help Queensland Health with emergency evacuations, of which
it did at least two.
About 300 troops with machinery, water purifiers, generators,
Black Hawk and Iriquois helicopters headed from Townsville to
the region, and more Army personnel joined their ADF colleagues
later in the week.
An Army Chinook became a “hero”, replacing a fallen
high tension power tower allowing homes in Babinda to have light.
And back at the bases were hundreds of Air Force, Army and Navy
personnel providing front-line troops with logistic support.
The Cyclone Larry Appeal number is 1800
150 411
