Clean-up begins but cyclone threat yet to disappear
Lloyd Jones and Aaron Bunch |
The first cyclone of the season is set to threaten Australia’s mainland for the final time after lashing the Top End, sparking a major clean-up.
Homes may be without power for days after Tropical Cyclone Fina hammered the Northern Territory with destructive winds and heavy rain.
After intensifying into a category four system, Cyclone Fina now has Western Australia in its path.
Winds in excess of 200km/h near the centre of the storm and up to 300mm of rain have been forecast, with a warning declared for the northeast Kimberley coast on Monday.
The cyclone will likely impact a largely unpopulated WA area when it makes what is expected to be its last hurrah.
The system is expected to make landfall as a category three system on Monday night before dramatically weakening.
“This will be the final mainland crossing for the system as it makes its way inland and deteriorates quite rapidly,” a Bureau of Meteorology spokesperson told AAP.
Cyclone Fina’s presence is still being felt in the NT with households and businesses without power and schools closed on Monday.
The Tiwi Islands north of Darwin were among the hardest hit when the cyclone passed on the weekend as a category three system, with top gusts of 195km/h and sustained winds near its centre of 140km/h.
Darwin Airport recorded 157mm of rain since 9am on Saturday, while Middle Point, southwest of the city, copped 393mm.
A Tiwi Islands hotel manager said the system had damaged some homes and brought down trees.
“Thank God no one was hurt, no one was injured,” Mantiyupwi Hotel’s Edna Jones told AAP from Wurrumiyanga, Bathurst Island.
Ms Jones said there had been no power or water since the cyclone passed between the Tiwi Islands and Darwin at the weekend.
“We’re still figuring it out. There’s a few generators running, but they’re running out of fuel so it’s getting harder.”
She said there had been “no communications at all” from authorities on when services would be restored.
The islands’ Tiwi College has been closed until further notice.
Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy was hopeful help would reach the Tiwis’ hard-hit places on Monday.
“I have spoken to residents on the islands. They are, overall, generally pleased in terms of their safety,” she told reporters in Darwin.
“But, of course, like everyone who’s experiencing power outages, there are really stressful moments without the power.”
Authorities worked away to restore electricity to 5000 NT homes and businesses but about 14,000 were still without power on Monday morning.
All but two schools were able to open on Monday, but NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said a “big clean-up” awaited the territory.
“We are really focused on making sure that the Territory gets back to business as usual as fast as possible,” she told reporters.
NT emergency crews cut trees, removed debris and reopened roadways as the clean-up began in earnest on Monday.
The chief minister thanked NT residents for heeding safety warnings and asked those without power to remain patient.
Federal Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain said disaster recovery funding arrangements had been activated.
Hardship payments of $611 for adults and $309 for children are available in seven local government areas.
Low interest loans and freight subsidies will also be available for primary producers along with assistance for not-for-profits to replace lost assets.
“We’ll also work with local government authorities on replacement of critical infrastructure once their rapid assessments are done,” Ms McBain told reporters in Darwin.
AAP
