10 YEARS ON: Gladstone firey recalls Cyclone Yasi

Graham Smith was deployed to Innisfail after the category five cyclone struck North Queensland in 2011.

Graham Smith recalls the devastation caused by Cyclone Yasi in 2011.

Graham Smith can barely believe it has been 10 years since Cyclone Yasi struck North Queensland, causing widespread damage across several regions.

Mr Smith was deployed from Gladstone to Innisfail as a logistics manager in incident management, to help communities recover from the aftermath there and in Tully.

The category five cyclone, wildly regarded as one of the largest Queensland has seen, crossed the north of the state on February 3, 2011, causing significant damage between Cairns and Townsville.

The areas of Cardwell, Tully, Mission Beach, Innisfail and surrounding towns suffered the brunt of the devastation.

 

 

TC Yasi brought wind gusts of 285kmh which were difficult for many structures to withstand.

"Pretty much every power pole was on the ground, a large percentage of the houses were destroyed, there was no power in the town at all," Mr Smith said.

 

The logistics team Graham Smith was a part of following the aftermath of cyclone Yasi in Innisfail in February 2011.

 

It was difficult for Mr Smith to see so many residents displaced, while as an emergency responder, the primary focus was getting the power back on and getting the sewerage operating again.

 

Scenes from Innisfail while Cyclone Yasi made its initial pass-over.

"Whether it's your home or your livelihood it's very important to you, that becomes your focus as an individual," Mr Smith said.

"Whereas our focus as an incident management team and recovery team, you have to take a wider look at it.

"It's all hard because everybody has their own story and none of them are good stories because it's the worst day of their lives."

 

Locals still attempt drive along a flooded road from Innisfail to Tully on the morning after Cyclone Yasi hit the far North Coast of Queensland causing widespread damage and inundating land and roads.

 

A house flattened by the category five cyclone.

However what really stuck in Mr Smith's mind, was the devastation caused to primary producers in the area.

"It was very difficult for us to restore the livelihoods at the banana plantations that had been completely flattened," he said.

"There's not a lot we can do as recovery people to support that apart from some psychological support.

"A house can be rebuilt quicker than we can replant a plantation of bananas.

"The ongoing effect of that on that year and the years after - it takes a long time for them to recover."

 

The aftermath of Cyclone Yasi at Innisfail in February 2011.

Ten years on and Mr Smith is hopeful what has been gained from the experience is more preparedness and resilience - not just in the areas struck but by anyone in Australia.

 

An incident control team deployed to clean up the aftermath of cyclone Yasi at Innisfail in February 2011.

"There is a wealth of information for people who live in those towns prone to bushfires or weather events, so there's probably no excuse for people not to be ready," he said.

"Obviously if they've been through one they're super ready.

"As a result of those experiences, building codes have changed so even structures people live in now are more resilient to damage.

"People need to be fully aware and maintain vigilance."

 

Gladstone fire station manager Graham Smith recounts his time responding to Cyclone Yasi 10 years ago.

Despite the difficulties in entering what he said could only be described as "like a war zone" Mr Smith, a firefighter of 39 years and 11 years with QFES, said there was reward in being able to help people recover.

"You spend a bit of time talking to them and spend some time with them and although it's not something we can fix overnight we try and reassure them and say 'it will get better, tomorrow will be better than today'," he said.