hey geoff,

yes, I saw news of that threat but then all was eclipsed by egypt. take 
care - and I wish everyone the best down there!

-frank



> Dear All,
>               My best wishes to all of you affected by the huge storm in the
> USA. I hope you are all safe. Trudy tells me the US is getting almost no
> news about anything except Egypt. In case some of you have heard about the
> huge category 5 storm bearing down on Queensland, we are well south of it
> but are very worried about friends and relatives.
> The storm is a low category 5 but has the potential to intensify further
> before it hits the coast. It is heading for the city of Cairns but is so
> huge that the cities of Townsville, 175 miles south, and Mt Isa 700 miles
> inland will experience category 2 winds and about a metre of rain in 24
> hours. The rain system will go across the country and drench South Australia
> and parts of flood ravaged Victoria. Storm surge on the coast of North
> Queensland could be 5 metres. There will be 10 hours of destructive winds,
> an hour in the eye and then another 10 hours of winds. Winds are just rising
> now in Cairns which is 1000 miles north of here, even though it is in the
> same state. The satellite images look just like the ones I remember on TV
> when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans during our 2005 stay in DC.
> The weather bureau is saying this cyclone "is likely to be more life
> threatening than any experienced during recent generations".
> http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/02/3127394.htm
> http://au.news.yahoo.com/cyclone-yasi/a/-/article/8759255/lethal-cyclone-hit
> s-category-five/
> http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8205143/yasi-most-devastating-in-queensl
> ands-history
> Luckily for flood-ravaged Brisbane where I live, little of the rain is
> likely to get to us. That said my work place, the Queensland Museum South
> Bank and indeed most of the Queensland Cultural Centre, remains closed till
> at least next week. I am stuck at home using up my recreation leave, of
> which I luckily have plenty.
> Geoff
>
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>    


-- 
Frank Ippolito
Principal Scientific Assistant
Division of Vertebrate Paleontology
American Museum of Natural History
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