Cardwell sweats on cyclone Ului
THE town of Cardwell, south of Tully, is on cyclone watch, with cyclone Ului tipped to cross the Queensland coast this weekend.
Last night, the cyclone was about 1200km east-northeast of Townsville and slowly moving south-southwest, the weather bureau’s Janine Yuasa said.
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The bureau was expecting the cyclone, a category 3, to cross the coast somewhere between Cardwell and Mackay on Sunday morning.
Damaging winds are tipped between Cardwell and Yeppoon tomorrow.
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Last night, Cardwell residents said they were sitting tight and playing a waiting game.
"There’s nothing much we can do but wait," State Emergency Services volunteer "Shorty" Nevins said.
"I’m told Cardwell was put on the face of this earth by a big cyclone in the 1800s that dumped a big sandbar here but we’re hoping we won’t see anything like that again," he said.
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There had been action at the town’s rubbish dump yesterday, Mr Nevins said.
"People are cutting down branches, picking up rubbish and getting rid of it, but other than that the town is as prepared as it ever will be."
A Hinchinbrook Island Wilderness Lodge and Ferry spokesperson said the lodge was empty apart from its
caretaker, who would be brought back to the mainland by boat today as a precaution.
She said the marina was "all quiet" yesterday.
"Some tourists have left and headed for Cairns but no one else has moved their boats yet," she said.
Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts yesterday said two extra Queensland Fire and Rescue swift water teams had been deployed to North Queensland and another six were on standby.
Cassowary Coast Regional Council Mayor and Local Disaster Management Committee chairman Bill
Shannon said the cyclone watch was a "heads-up for the community".
He said the region was expecting to be on the edge of potentially strong winds and rain and residents were hoping that was all.
The watch comes two days before the fourth anniversary of cyclone Larry, which devastated the Innisfail region but left Cardwell largely unscathed.
"It’s uncanny timing but it’s not so surprising given the most active time for cyclones is February to March," Cr Shannon said.
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