# data[].attributes.body
ABARE. Australian Commodities. Vol.18. no.1. March quarter 2011.

Australia Government. Bureau of Meterology. Severe Tropical Yasi. Sitelink: www.bom.gov.au/cyclone/history/yasi.shml  Viewed on 14 May 2017

Australia Government. Office of the Prime Minister. Press release. 3 February 2011. “Prime Minister Attorney General Commonwealth Assistance for Queenslanders impacted by Tropical Cyclone Yasi”.

Australian Geographic. Cyclones: facts and figures. February 02, 2011. Sitelink: www.australiangeographic.com.au  Viewed on 12 May 2017

Beeden, R. et. Al.  “Impacts and Recovery from Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi on the Great Barrier Reed”. Plos One Dol. 10. 1371. April 15, 2015

Cairns Post. “Yasi’s sting. Jobless rate returns to nation high 13 per cent”. 18 March 2011. Melanie Petrinec.

Insurance Council of Australia. Sitelink: www.insurancecouncil.com.au/issue-submissions/issues/catastrophe-events

Splash ABC.net.au  Cyclone Yasi hits Queensland 2011. Sitelink: www.splash.abc.net.au/home#!/media/31131/cyclones-yasi. Viewed on 14 May 17.

# data[].attributes.body
Operation Yasi Assist was a program run by the Australian Defence Force as part of the response to Cyclone Yasi.  Personnel from the Australian Army, Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Airforce were deployed for clean up and recovery operations.  Over 1200 personnel worked to evacuate people before the event and rescue people after the event.  The Defence Force was also important in protecting infrastructure and ensuring people's safety and the laws were upheld in the days immediately after the event.

# data[].attributes.body
Cyclone Yasi had a big impact across many parts of north Queensland.  Many groups responded in the days and months after the cyclone hit the region.

The Commonwealth Government provided financial assistance to people affected by Yasi.  This included:
- Assistance under the Natural Disaster Relief and Recovery Arrangements
- The Australian Government Disaster Recovery Payment and
- The Disaster Income Recovery Subsidy.
These financial payments allowed people immediate cash to pay for basic needs such as food and clothing and larger payments for repairs to houses and household contents.  These were particularly important for people who had lost everything, their homes and everything in it and for those people who did not have insurance.

# data[].attributes.body
As well as impacting crops, vegetation and wildlife Cyclone Yasi has a big impact on the Great Barrier Reef. Because of the massive storm surge, massive waves crashed against the coral and as a result, made the coral snap off or break away. The tide also brought lots of dirt back into the water which resulted in the polyps chocking on the dirty water.

# data[].attributes.body
According to the Insurance Council of Australia Cyclone Yasi rates as the 10th largest catastrophic event in Australia.  Some $1.3bn worth of insurance claims were paid out by insurance companies showing the extent of damage the event caused.

ABARE estimated that agricultural production of around $300 million was lost because of Yasi. Crops such as bananas, vegetables and sugar cane were affected.  Banana prices increased dramatically for consumers!  Coal exports were also adversely affected because of flooded pits and damage to ports, roads and rail infrastructure.  This represented around $2-2.5 billion worth in reduction of export earnings.

As well as lost earnings, jobs in many industries such as tourism were affected by Yasi.  "Yasi's sting, jobless rate returns to nation high of 15 per cent" said the headlines in the Cairns Post on 18 March 2011.   The Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that 5000 jobs were lost as a result of Yasi.

The distress from damage to people's homes and their livelihood was felt across the region for months after the event.

# data[].attributes.body
Cyclone Yasi was one of the most powerful cyclones to hit Australia and as such its impact was felt in many ways and across a wide geographic area of Queensland.

In Mission Beach where Yasi first made landfall wind gusts of 180 mph damaged many buildings. A storm surge of 7 metres destroyed many structures and pushed 300 metres inland.  The areas around Tully, Tully Heads, Silkwood, Mission Beach, Innisfail and Cardwell were worst affected by Yasi with 90% of the structures and infrastructure such as roads, water and sewage damaged.

# data[].attributes.body
Yasi rapidly developed from a category 3 cyclone to a category 5 cyclone on the 2nd of February 2011.

# data[].attributes.body
The synoptic chart above from the Bureau of Meterology shows the cyclone heading towards the coast between Cairns and Townsville in north Queensland. The system increased to a tropical cyclone on the 30th January 2011. The blue dashes represent a low pressure trough associated with tropical cyclone Yasi.

# data[].attributes.body
Two key factors cause tropical cyclones.  (1) Very warm sea surface temperatures and (2) a cluster of thunderstorms from which a storm gathers energy.
Cyclone Yasi began forming as a tropical low pressure system northwest of Fiji.  Warm, tropical ocean waters under the developing storms evaporate then condenses to form clouds, releasing energy throughout the process.  This is seen in the diagram below from ABC News in February 2011. The heat energy combined with the rotation of the Earth got the cyclone spinning and propelled it towards Australia

# data[].attributes.body
On January 29th 2011 a tropical low formed northwest of Fiji.  The weather system rapidly increased to a tropical cyclone over the next day.  Cyclone Yasi was a category 5 cyclone that made landfall around Mission Beach in far north Queensland on February 3rd 2011.
Cyclone Yasi was one of the most powerful cyclones to hit Australia.  Heavy rain and wind gusts of 250-290 km per hour were recorded over a wide area in north Queensland. Yasi caused serious damage to many buildings, homes, roads and crops as well as parts of the Great Barrier Reef.