Impacts of tropical Cyclone Yasi on the Great Barrier Reef: a report on the findings of a rapid ecological impact assessment, July 2011

Abstract

Two years after TC Hamish hit the Great Barrier Reef, TC Yasi entered the region and crossed the Queensland coast near Mission Beach. Making landfall on February 3, 2011, TC Yasi was considered to be one of the largest and most powerful cyclones to affect Australia since records began. The Bureau of Meteorology rated TC Yasi a category 5 with estimated maximum wind gusts of 285 km/h close to the eye. Large areas of the Reef were exposed to the damaging effects of TC Yasi. The wind boundaries of the cyclone were very large: nearly 26 per cent (89,090 km2) of the 344,800 km2 Marine Park was exposed to at least gale force winds, and just over 13 per cent (45,768 km2) was exposed to destructive or very destructive winds. In total, 775 of the 2900 reefs within the Marine Park boundary were within areas exposed to gale force, destructive or very destructive winds.