Ex - Tropical Cyclone INGRID (22P)

[HURAKAN]

Cyclone Ingrid fades away
By Heather Quinlan
March 17, 2005
From: AAP

HOURS of screaming winds and crashing debris whipped up by Cyclone Ingrid left residents of Western Australia's remote Kimberley coast shaken yesterday, but grateful for a lucky escape.

Rated by meteorologists as the biggest tropical cyclone to hit Australian's two northern states and territory, Ingrid last night pounded an Aboriginal community and all but destroyed an exclusive Kimberley eco-resort as its terrified caretakers sheltered in a shipping container.
It was the third time in more than a week that Ingrid – at its peak a maximum category five cyclone – had menaced the Australian coastline.

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After forming on March 6, Ingrid first crossed Queensland's Cape York before sweeping across the Gulf of Carpentaria, the north coast of the Northern Territory and then southwest towards WA.

Police officer Darren Connor spent last night bunkered down in the remote northern community of Kalumburu as it was hit by an ear-shattering, once-in-a-lifetime storm.

"It was very loud. There were a lot of bangs and crashes from building materials flying around," he said.

"It was pretty chaotic out there."

Trees were uprooted, several buildings suffered minor damage and power and water services were cut, but the 400 Kalumburu residents felt lucky to have escaped Ingrid relatively unscathed, he said.

Faraway Bay resort, 100km to the west of Kalumburu, did not fare as well. Eight cabins, a workshop, staff accommodation and a generator shed were flattened and boats were hurled 400m from their moorings.

Faraway Bay owner Bruce Ellison said the resort had taken "a direct hit".

The retreat's caretakers contacted him at first light yesterday and were "pretty shook up" but unhurt, Mr Ellison said.

State Emergency Service helicopters were yesterday standing by at Kununurra, 700km east of Kalumburu, ready to fly to the community and to Faraway Bay, but winds generated by the weakening cyclone were still gusting up to 145km/h, spokesman Allen Gale said.

Heavy rain and flooding of Kimberley rivers has been predicted for coming days, Mr Gale said.

The weather bureau has now downgraded Ingrid to a category two cyclone.

It was expected the system would lose cyclone status altogether within 24 hours as it continues its inland path into a largely unpopulated section of the Kimberley.

The system was south southwest of Kalumburu and west north-west of Wyndham, moving south at 5km/h.

Meteorologists said Ingrid was first tracked as a tropical low on March 3, was upgraded to a cyclone on March 6 and has maintained its destructive force much longer than the usual four to seven days.

After striking the Queensland and Northern Territory coasts, causing evacuations and damaging several communities including the Tiwi and Croker Islands, Ingrid produced gusts of 260km/h as it tore into WA just north of Faraway Bay about 9pm on Tuesday.

Territories Minister Jim Lloyd travelled to Croker Island yesterday to compile a report on the damage to the tiny settlement off northern Australia.

[HURAKAN]

BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY
WESTERN AUSTRALIA REGIONAL OFFICE

Media: The Emergency Warning Signal should NOT be used with this warning.

PRIORITY

TROPICAL CYCLONE ADVICE NUMBER 89
Issued at 6:45 am WST on Thursday, 17 March 2005
BY THE BUREAU OF METEOROLOGY
TROPICAL CYCLONE WARNING CENTRE PERTH

The CYCLONE WARNING for the northeast Kimberley has been CANCELLED. Tropical
Cyclone INGRID has now weakened below cyclone intensity.

At 6am WST ex-Tropical Cyclone INGRID, 995hPa, was located near the WA/NT border
about 30 kilometres east southeast of Kununurra
moving east southeast at 22 kilometres per hour.

Winds have eased below gale force, although squalls with wind gusts to 90
kilometres per hour may still occur particularly in the Ord River District this
morning.

Widespread heavy rain and flooding will continue in eastern parts of the
Kimberley over the next 24 hours.

FESA State Emergency Service advises of the following community alerts:
ALL CLEAR WITH CAUTION : For the communities of Kalumburu, Oombulgurri, Wyndham
and Kununurra.

No further warnings are expected to be issued for this system.Cyclone advices
and State Emergency Service Community Alerts are available by
dialling 1300 659 210


A map showing the track of the cyclone is available at:
http://www.bom.gov.au/weather/wa/cyclone

LAND HAS TAKEN ITS TOLL AND INGRID IS FINALLY NOTHING MORE THAN A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM. INGRID WILL ALWAYS BE REMEMBERED FOR ITS TENACITY AND BRUTALITY. FAREWELL, INGRID!!!

[Matt-hurricanewatcher]

Bumping Ingrid to tell him he is getting his back in kicked hard by his sister.

[wxmann_91]

Bumping Ingrid to tell him he is getting his back in kicked hard by his sister.

You didn't have to bump this thread, just provide a link.

[Squeako da Magnifico]

But Ingrid was a pretty girl. But not as pretty as Monica...

[Jim Cantore]

I see no need to bump this, just link it