The monster called Yasi...

Hi everyone. Just a very quick update to let you know about my family in North Queensland. Right now. This very second. My parents, brother and his family are sitting out the severe wind gusts that are a Category 2 cyclone on dry land. It is eerie. I can hear the wind tearing down the phone line as I talk to them and reassure myself that they are okay.

And they are okay for the moment. This storm isn't over and they are in her path.

My more immediate concern was for family who live directly in the path of the eye of Yasi. They were devastated by TCLarry. And now they are calling "him" just a boy compared to Yasi. This was a Category 5 cyclone which hit the coast at Mission Beach. My cousin lives half an hour inland from there. Seriously. Only half an hour.

I was so worried but we have made contact. Everyone is fine. Mentally and physically exhausted but they are alive after expecting to be wiped from the planet.

Her little boy, thankfully, slept through most of the night. I hope he doesn't have nightmares from this experience. His swing set and trampoline have been crushed by a donga (a small single cell house like structure) but those are the things that can be replaced. Just things. A 3000L water tank has just disappeared. They have no idea where that has gone. But again... just things.

Amazingly their phones are still up and running. No electricity but the communication network is up and running. And thank goodness for that, because I think I would be sitting here, not knowing what was going on and making myself physically sick.

My family is okay. I hope I can say the same for everyone else...x