Queensland''s ports have survived an onslaught from Cyclone Yasi, one of the most destructive cyclones to hit Australia in decades.
Despite the ferocity of the winds, which created havoc to the state sugar crop and at one stage left about 175,000 people without power, ports reported no major infrastructural damage.
North Queensland Bulk Ports reported that power was lost at Abbot Point for a while but the wharves were largely free of damage, and that Mackay also had power quickly restored and inspections at low tide showed no identifiable damage, leading to the port being reopened quickly.
Vessels began moving off their cyclone moorings and relocating back to berths in Cairns soon after the cyclone had passed, and no serious damage reported was reported at either of the northern ports of Mourilyan and Weipa.
Dalrymple Bay Coal Terminal suffered little disruption to operations while Hay Point reported that its monitoring systems indicated no damage. Gladstone Port Corporation said that it had remained open through the crisis, with coal received and loaded for export.
At its height, Yasi was rated a category five tropical cyclone and parts of Queensland that were struck by the storm were already devastated by the widespread floods of December and January.
