On the 20th March 2006, cyclone Larry a category 5 had ripped through the coast of far north Queensland with winds blowing up to 290 kilometres an hour where the mayor predicted up to 200,000 people would be affected.
Metrologists along with local residents described it as the worst in history and the ABC reported that a second cyclone was forming but at this stage it was not a threat.
A local resident compared the damages caused by this cyclone to the LA earthquake telling the ABC: “"Oh my God this was terrifying, it was just about to stop, it was gone down, I've got windows out ... windows broken, trees down ... the garage door was gone, fence was down ... I was in LA in an earthquake, this was worse." The mayor of a Shire in far north Queensland told the ABC reporter ‘it was worst as any cyclone in living history.’
The ABC reported that a minister from the Seventh Day Adventist Church at Innisfail was currently stuck in the church community centre where the roofs were being torn. While they are being held up they would pray.
The Prime Minister stated that the Federal government would do anything to assist the people and told the Queensland government that: “"Australians were very good at responding to these things because everybody pitches in without restraint and without any kind of holding back to help. I am quite certain that that egalitarian cooperation which had served this country well on other occasions would operate again on this occasion."
The Premier of Queensland, Peter Beattie stated a contingency plan had already been drawn up and warned of the damages saying: “I have to say that the councils have worked incredibly hard, the Emergency Services have as well, but this is one hell of a cyclone and there will be considerable damage."
Currently the Red Cross is setting up emergency shelters across the state with three centres up and running at: Tully, Silkwood and Innisfail.