One killed, two missing Power lines are cutCARDWELL, Australia: Residents across Queensland state trickled out of their sodden homes Friday to confront the wreckage left a day earlier by Cyclone Yasi, a fierce storm that flattened dozens of houses and ripped roofs and walls from hundreds more. The storm cut power to thousands of homes and shredded hundreds of millions of dollars worth of banana and sugar cane crops. Australia marshaled 4,000 troops and sent a supply ship with tons of food to the hardest-hit communities Friday, as authorities confirmed the first death from the cyclone. Police said a 23-year-old man died from asphyxiation after being overwhelmed by fumes from a diesel-powered generator he was using in a closed room during the storm. Two other people were reported missing. The storm thrashed the coast with up to 170 mph (280 kph) winds and sent waves crashing ashore two blocks into seaside communities, as tens of thousands of people huddled in evacuation centers. Electricity and phone service were gradually being restored Friday, and roads cleared of downed trees, power lines and twisted metal roofs torn from homes. But the efforts were hampered by drenching rain in many parts of the disaster zone, prompting the weather bureau to warn of potentially dangerous flash flooding. Because Australia's far northeast is sparsely populated, Yasi, despite its size, didn't hit any major cities as it charged across the continent. In Cardwell, rain poured through gaping holes in the roofs of houses already inundated. Local police moved through the cluttered streets trying to clear wreckage. Richard Doran, 62, beckoned a backhoe driver over to the front of his shop, where inside, three inches of mud covered the floor. A tidal surge had dumped a tangle of downed trees and nearly a foot of sand at his front door. He still hadn't seen any state emergency service workers and was hoping help would arrive soon. “The longer it sits like this, the worse it is,” he said.
