Community braced for Cyclone Monica

Residents in remote north-eastern Australia are braced for the onslaught of a tropical cyclone today, bearing winds of up to 137mph, a month after another storm left thousands in the region homeless.

Cyclone Monica was expected to hit the remote Aboriginal community of Lockhart River at around midday local time, bringing strong winds and torrential rain.

Peter Buckland, chief executive officer of the Lockhart River Aboriginal Shire Council said the community of about 700 people was experienced in preparing for cyclones, having been hit by category-four Cyclone Ingrid last March.

“We’ve done as much preparation as we can and now we are just waiting for what the cyclone intends to do,” he said.

Yesterday, the category-three Cyclone Monica was hovering around 65 miles north east of Lockhart River and moving west at about 7.5mph, according to the Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre in the Queensland state capital, Brisbane.

Queensland state leader, Premier Peter Beattie, said emergency services personnel were on standby to deal with any damage from the storm. Beattie also said the state’s Disaster Co-ordination Group, which includes representatives from the Australian defence forces and health and environmental agencies, would meet to finish preparations.

“The Department of Emergency Services has taken a range of precautions to prepare for the arrival of tropical Cyclone Monica,” Beattie said. “As Cyclone Monica approaches the coastline this morning, our thoughts and prayers are with the residents in the affected region.”

Senior forecaster Geoff Doueal said the effects of the storm were already being felt in north-eastern Queensland.

“The winds are starting to pick up and the trees are starting to rustle now around Lockhart River,” he said. ”We are already starting to see heavy rain now.”

Last month, category-five Cyclone Larry – the most powerful cyclone to hit northeastern Australia in decades – tore through the rural community of Innisfail, about 62 miles south of Cairns, destroying thousands of homes and devastating banana and sugar cane plantations.

The Lockhart River community lies about 373 miles north of Innisfail, which was not expected to bear the brunt of Cyclone Monica.