Cyclone Larry

{{storm path|Larry 2006 track.png}}

Larry began as a low pressure system over the eastern Coral Sea that was monitored by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology from 16 March 2006. It formed into a tropical cyclone {{convert|1150|km|mi}} off the coast of Queensland, Australia on Saturday 18 March 2006. Larry was a Category 2 cyclone in the Australian intensity scale when the cyclone watch commenced, and gradually intensified to a high Category 5 cyclone on that scale. The eye of Larry crossed the coast in between Gordonvale and Tully between 6:20 am and 7:20 am AEST on 20 March 2006. According to preliminary data, the winds may have reached {{convert|290|km/h|mph}} with gusts to {{convert|310|-|320|km/h|mph}}. However, re-analysis based on land observations indicated that Cyclone Larry was a Category 4 cyclone during landfall, as wind gusts were estimated to have reached {{convert|240|km/h|mph}} in the area of impact.[https://web.archive.org/web/20070328213150/http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200703/s1878483.htm Larry was a category four cyclone: BoM.] ABC News, 22 March 2007.

Image:Cyclone Larry 20 mar 2006 0355Z.jpg

The Australian intensity scale is based on maximum wind gusts, which are estimated to be 40 percent above 10-minute sustained winds. On this scale, Larry peaked as a Category 5 cyclone, during landfall. On the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center's maximum 1-minute wind speed assigned to the cyclone define it as a Category 4-equivalent storm.

Based on estimated winds speeds required to destroy simple structures, a damage survey of buildings in the Innisfail region estimated peak gust wind speeds (in reference to flat open country at a height of {{convert|10|m|ft}}) across the study area to range from {{convert|180|to|300|km/h|mph}}. This estimate correlates with the Bureau of Meteorology's re-analysis of Cyclone Larry at landfall. Their reviews of data suggest that Larry was a Category 5 system when it crossed the coast.{{cite web|url=http://eng.jcu.edu.au/cts/newsletter/Oct_06_CTS_Newsletter.pdf |title=Cyclone Testing Station |publisher=Eng.jcu.edu.au |access-date=20 March 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081030092240/http://eng.jcu.edu.au/cts/newsletter/Oct_06_CTS_Newsletter.pdf |archive-date=30 October 2008 |df=dmy }} It was confirmed by the Bureau of Meteorology in March 2007 that the cyclone made landfall as a Category 5 cyclone.

A 10-minute average wind speed of {{convert|108|kn|km/h mph}} was reported in Innisfail during landfall,{{cite web|author=Australian Bureau of Meteorology|title=Latest Coastal Weather Observations for Innisfail|date=20 March 2005|access-date=20 March 2006|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/products/IDQ60701/IDQ60701.94291.shtml}}{{cite web|author=Above data archived-reproduced at Wunderground|title=History for Innisfail, Queensland on Monday, 20 March 2006|access-date=29 March 2006|url=http://www.wunderground.com/history/station/94291/2006/3/20/DailyHistory.html?req_city=NA&req_state=NA&req_statename=NA}} theoretically corresponding to 1-minute sustained winds of {{convert|125|kn|km/h mph}}, and maximum wind gusts generally consistent with a Saffir-Simpson scale Category 5 storm.[http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/faq/ BoM – Tropical Cyclone Frequently Asked Questions] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161221132124/http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/faq/ |date=21 December 2016 }}

At 1 am Australian Eastern Standard Time on 21 March 2006, Larry was downgraded to a Tropical Low pressure system as it moved inland. Ex-tropical cyclone Larry was further tracked as it moved into western Queensland to the north of Mount Isa. Larry's short life as a cyclone is attributed to its speed; the system moved very quickly over the Coral Sea dissipating nearly 24 hours after landfall. Cyclone Larry was considered to be the worst cyclone to hit the coast of Queensland since 1931, until it was surpassed by Cyclone Yasi in 2011; {{Citation needed|date=December 2020}} consequently, the name "Larry" was retired on 12 December 2006.[http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/about/names.shtml Tropical Cyclone names] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150411120956/http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/about/names.shtml |date=11 April 2015 }}

Image:CycloneLarryFlooding MODIS 20060327.jpg

Cyclone Larry was regarded as the most powerful cyclone to affect Queensland in almost a century.{{cite web|url=http://www.cairnsnewspapers.com.au/localnews/detail.asp?aid=203 |title=Larry's Fury |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060823054059/http://www.cairnsnewspapers.com.au/localnews/detail.asp?aid=203 |archive-date=23 August 2006 }} According to Queensland state Counter Disaster Rescue Services executive director Frank Pagano,{{cite news|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/03/19/cyclone.larry.ap/|title= Massive cyclone hits Australia|access-date=20 March 2006 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20060405232724/http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/03/19/cyclone.larry.ap/ |archive-date = 5 April 2006}} Cyclone Larry constituted "the most devastating cyclone that we could potentially see on the east coast of Queensland for decades ... there was great destruction." Then-Premier of Queensland, Peter Beattie declared Larry a disaster situation, comparing it to Cyclone Tracy,{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,18531359-29279,00.html |title=Beattie fears cyclone's power |access-date=20 March 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080219022228/http://www.news.com.au/story/0%2C10117%2C18531359-29279%2C00.html |archive-date=19 February 2008 }} giving local governments the authority to enforce mandatory evacuations.

Then the Australian Prime Minister John Howard said of Larry, "this cyclone is of an enormous magnitude," and reserved several UH-60 Black Hawk and CH-47 Chinook heavy lift helicopters for rescue efforts in the aftermath of the cyclone. He also promised grants of $10,000 to businesses affected by the cyclone.{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,18562824%255E12377,00.html|title= Government announces grants|access-date=22 March 2006}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

An appeal fund was launched by the Queensland Government, with an initial donation of $100,000; the Commonwealth Bank initially donated $50,000, and then increased its contribution to $1 Million after examining the devastation. Premier Beattie asked "everyone to dig deep and help people who have suffered in the devastation wreaked by the cyclone."{{cite news|url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,18532292-29277,00.html |title=Cyclone appeal fund launched |access-date=20 March 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080219022233/http://www.news.com.au/story/0%2C10117%2C18532292-29277%2C00.html |archive-date=19 February 2008 }}

Cairns airport and harbour were closed, and all flights were suspended. Innisfail, where Larry made landfall, suffered severe damage. In Babinda, {{convert|30|km|mi}} north of Innisfail, up to 80% of buildings were damaged.{{cite news|url=http://www.couriermail.news.com.au/story/0,20797,18548596-952,00.html|title=Larry's catastrophic toll|access-date=21 March 2006|work=The Courier-Mail|date=20 March 2006|archive-date=26 June 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060626005415/http://www.couriermail.news.com.au/story/0,20797,18548596-952,00.html|url-status=dead}} The region's banana industry, which employs up to 6000 people, suffered extreme losses of crops,{{cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,18531510%255E31037,00.html|title= Cyclone 'to ruin farmers'|access-date=20 March 2006}}{{dead link|date=March 2025|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} accounting for more than 80% of Australia's total banana crop.[http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=92100 Cyclone devastates banana, sugar crops] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070514000544/http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=92100 |date=14 May 2007 }} The Atherton Tablelands also received a great deal of damage from Cyclone Larry, with damage to buildings, and major disruptions to power, water and telephone services.

Other towns suffering damage included Silkwood (99% of homes damaged), Kurrimine Beach (30% of homes damaged), and Mission Beach (30% of homes damaged). Cairns, the largest city in the region affected by the cyclone, sustained minor structural damage, mostly comprising fallen power lines and houses damaged by fallen trees throughout the city. Light aircraft were flipped over at Cairns Airport.

A damage survey of buildings in the Innisfail region concluded that the majority of contemporary houses remained structurally intact, though many roller doors were destroyed. The report noted that the structures should have been able to withstand the cyclone, as the winds impacting the buildings were below the threshold required for meeting the region's building standards. Buildings constructed prior to the introduction of higher cyclone rating standards suffered comparatively more damage. In total 10,000 homes were damaged.{{Cite news |url=http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/weather/evacuations-begin-amid-warnings-of-one-of-biggest-cyclones-20110131-1aahx.html |title=Evacuations begin amid warnings of 'one of biggest' cyclones |access-date=31 January 2011 |date=31 January 2011 |work=Brisbane Times |publisher=Fairfax Media }}

Preliminary reports estimated the cost of loss and damage to domestic and commercial premises is to be in excess of half a billion dollars.

After landfall, Tropical Cyclone Larry moved over north-western Queensland on 22–23 March 2006, with heavy rain across the region. Gereta Station, north of Mount Isa, recorded 583 mm of rain in the 48 hours to 9 am on 23 March 2006.{{cite web|author=Australian Bureau of Meteorology|title=Summary of Severe Tropical Cyclone Larry|url=http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/qld/cyclone/tc_larry|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060418053332/http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/qld/cyclone/tc_larry/|archive-date=18 April 2006|df=dmy-all}} Heavy flooding was reported along the Leichhardt River downstream, resulting in the inundation of some cattle properties.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/northwest/stories/s1601877.htm|archive-url=https://archive.today/20080223010229/http://www.abc.net.au/northwest/stories/s1601877.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=23 February 2008|title= Record breaking flood waters in the Gulf|website=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |access-date=5 October 2006}}

One indirect fatality occurred when the storm caused a traffic accident near where it made landfall.

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{{Costliest Australian region tropical cyclones}}

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Cyclone Larry caused extensive and persistent damage to the regions natural rainforest. Normally resilient to high wind speeds of previous cyclones the force of Larry stripped several hundred thousand acres of leaves. A large quantity of major ND upper canopy trees were blown down or broken off. many stripped and damaged trees unable to resist a variety of tropical pests caused a second wave of dying to occur in the following months. The regions forest, famous as being similar paleoforest to the Amazon, became lower in overall height.

File:Cyclone Larry damage in Edmonton 3.jpg, an outer suburb of Cairns in the aftermath of the storm, on 20 March 2006.]]

On 27 March, the Governor General of Australia, Michael Jeffery, visited the area several days into the recovery. He viewed the devastation from the air and also met with groups of people on the ground.{{cite web|url=http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/mar2006/2006-03-27-04.html|title=Queenslanders Start to Recover from Cyclone Larry|publisher=ENS-Newswire|date=27 March 2006|access-date=14 May 2019}}

A few hours after the immediate effects of the cyclone, the Australian Defence Force dispatched elements of the Townsville based 3rd Brigade and the Cairns-based 51st Battalion, Far North Queensland Regiment, Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force including: six Black Hawk helicopters, three Iroquois helicopters, one Chinook helicopter, one Seahawk helicopter, three Navy {{Sclass|Balikpapan|landing craft heavy|0}} landing craft, two Caribou aircraft, two C-130 Hercules, and several LARC-V amphibious 4WD vehicles.

A Combat Services Support Battalion coordinated emergency support at Innisfail Showgrounds, providing health care, environmental advice, fresh food and purified water (as well as testing local supplies), tarpaulins, bath and shower facilities, and up to 500 beds.{{cite web|url=http://www.defence.gov.au/minister/49tpl.cfm?CurrentId=5503|title= Australian Troops Rebuilding Far North Queensland|access-date=10 April 2015}}

The Cowley Beach Training Area near Mourilyan Harbour, {{convert|25|km|mi}} south of Innisfail, was significantly affected by the cyclone, and its use as a base by recovery teams was therefore limited.

Image:Mourilyan mill destruction.jpg sugar mill after the cyclone]]

Thuringowa Group Rural Fire Brigade volunteers responded immediately after the impact of the cyclone. The rural fire volunteer task force set up a command post at East Palmerston, which was in place for a number of weeks. A newly acquired Emergency Support Unit was quickly prepared for disaster relief operations. This unit had to be sold before STC Yasi slammed the North QLD Coastline however, the Rural Fire Service and QLD Fire & Rescue had honed their incident management skills and along with the LDMG in Townsville, ensured that emergency response during and after the cyclone were suitable and appropriate.{{Citation needed|date=December 2020}}

Image:Peter Cosgrove.jpg.]]

Former Chief of the Defence Force, General Peter Cosgrove, took charge of recovery efforts, and was directing activities from Innisfail by 24 March 2006. He called for an economic assessment by state and federal governments, and specified a moratorium on businesses' debt repayments to banks for 3 months.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}}

About 150 tradesmen from around Australia arrived in Innisfail around 26 March 2006, and worked to reopen schools and other public buildings, and to make private dwellings habitable.

The Queensland Government also investigated how many trusted prisoners could be organised for work-gangs.{{cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2006/s1601405.htm|title= Shops reopen, trains running again in Innisfail|website= Australian Broadcasting Corporation|access-date=29 March 2006}}{{Clarify|date=July 2010}}

Media outlets reported that rental agents were working to find accommodation for displaced persons, after the already tight accommodation market was exacerbated by the severe damage done to homes in the affected areas.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}} Many tenants and owners of severely damaged homes had little chance of finding accommodation in the area, and many were expected to move to Cairns for several months.{{Citation needed|date=July 2010}} Many people were sheltered in town halls while the defence force built additional temporary accommodation.

The cyclone destroyed 80–90% of Australia's banana crop. Australia is relatively free of banana pests and diseases, and therefore does not allow bananas to be imported. Bananas were in short supply throughout Australia for the remainder of 2006, which increased prices across the country by 400–500%. The average price of bananas was $15 per kilo.National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration. [http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/cmb/bams-sotc/climate-assessment-2006.pdf An Australian Season of Extremes: Yes, We Have No Bananas.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304121841/http://www1.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/cmb/bams-sotc/climate-assessment-2006.pdf |date=4 March 2016 }} State of the Climate 2006, page 61. Retrieved on 10 April 2015.

{{portal|Tropical cyclones}}

• Other tropical cyclones of the same name
• List of Queensland tropical cyclones

:*Cyclone Yasi – Costliest tropical cyclone recorded in the Australian region basin

:*Cyclone Marcia

:*Cyclone Debbie

:*Cyclone Ita

{{reflist|30em}}

{{Commons category|Cyclone Larry}}

• [http://www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/history/larry.shtml BOM cyclone history larry]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060903061319/http://www.abc.net.au/farnorth/larry.htm ABC Radio Far North Queensland] – Archived cyclone Larry related material
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060522232649/https://www.smartservice.qld.gov.au/AQ/selectItem?formID=7 Queensland Government Donation Web Site for Cyclone Larry]
• [http://www.disaster.qld.gov.au/ Queensland Government Disaster Management Services]
• [http://www.emergency.qld.gov.au/ Queensland Government Emergency Services] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210618172205/http://emergency.qld.gov.au/ |date=18 June 2021 }}
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20080219110353/http://www.communities.qld.gov.au/community/disaster/relief-cyclone-larry.html Queensland Government Department of Communities]- information on relief assistance for Tropical Cyclone Larry victims
• [http://www.wunderground.com/cgi-bin/findweather/getForecast?query=Cairns Cairns Weather page, wunderground.com]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070410052410/http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/qld/cyclone/ BOM Queensland Cyclone warning centre]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110208024929/http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200603/s1595537.htm Cyclone Larry building to Category 5 (ABC News Online)]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20110208075938/http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200603/s1595517.htm Far north Qld braces for massive Cyclone frontage (ABC News Online)]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060823054059/http://www.cairnsnewspapers.com.au/localnews/detail.asp?aid=203 Larry's Fury (Cairns Newspapers Online)] Full report and photographs.
• [http://www.cyclonelarryaftermath.blogspot.com/ Cyclone Larry Blog]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060326014653/http://bulletin.ninemsn.com.au/bulletin/site/articleIDs/113688CFDFFCF1B1CA25713700133488 Bulletin Magazine] articles on Cyclone Larry and disaster relief measures
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070929223935/http://www.eyeonaustralia.org/googleearth/locations/Tropical%20Cyclone%20Larry.kmz Cyclone Larry aftermath in Google Earth] by www.eyeonaustralia.org
• [https://onesearch.slq.qld.gov.au/permalink/61SLQ_INST/dls06p/alma99183794521002061 Queensland cyclone photographs], State Library of Queensland. Includes photographs of the aftermath of Cyclone Larry.

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Larry

Category:Tropical cyclones in Queensland