accounting for 71 lives, the destruction of most of Darwin and profoundly affecting the Australian perspective Trench latrines were dug; water supplies delivered by tankers, and mass immunisation programs begun. Although a Legislative Assembly had been set up earlier in the year, the Northern Territory had only minimal self-government, with a federal minister being responsible for the Territory from Canberra. The anemometer in Darwin Airport control tower had its needle bent in half by the strength of the gusts. (2010), This page was created at 11:54 on Wednesday 18 January 2023 (UTC), Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 2023, Bureau of Meteorology (ABN 92 637 533 532) | CRICOS Provider 02015K | Disclaimer | Privacy | Accessibility, Report In October 1970, the Bhola cyclone struck what is now Bangladesh and killed at least 300,000 people. I remember the airport had half of the roof ripped off, as people back then would know it wasn't much more than a tin shed. This clip shows the extensive destruction in the aftermath of Cyclone Tracy, one of the worst natural disasters in Australian history, which devastated Darwin on Christmas Eve in 1974. Those who remained in Darwin faced the threat of several diseases due to much of the city being without water, electricity, or basic sanitation. But, the legendary The anemometer at Darwin Airport recorded a gust of 217 km/h before the instrument was destroyed. The extraordinary official response and public generosity reminds us of our social resilience, of how terrible things can happen, and how we can help each other through them. Most of those who lost their lives were killed by flying debris or crushed beneath their houses. Joan Allridge, Vice President of the Red Cross who spent the hours of the cyclone under her kitchen table with two other adults, six children, one cat, four kittens, one dog and three birds recalled how essential those early fly-in support workers were. 24/12- 21:00 In almost all cases wind was the dominant 25/12- 00:30 factor in the ensuing structural damage, 25/12- 03:00 and On 21 December 1974, the ESSA-8 satellite showed evidence of a newly formed circular centre near latitude 8 south and longitude 135 east. It's the event that put Darwin on the map while nearly wiping it off it. Major reception centres were set up in cities such as Katherine, Tennant Creek and Alice Springs. Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin in December 1974, killing 71 people and devastating 80 per cent of the city. Very strong winds may damage installations, dwellings, communication systems, trees., etc. This was completed within a week. The committee, composed of several high-level public servants and police, stated that, "Darwin had, for the time being, ceased to exist as a city". The first casualties did not arrive till 7a.m. because of high winds and severe road conditions in and around the Darwin area. Tropical Cyclone Tracy is arguably the most significant tropical cyclone in Australia's history However, Cyclone Tracy, which hit Darwin in the small hours of Christmas Day 1974, was among the most destructive ever recorded in Australia. Where: Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia. The Commission was headed by Tony Powell. It was just howling and howling and the house never stopped moving. But 66 people lost their lives and 70 per cent of homes were destroyed in the Northern Territory's capital city in 1974, when Cyclone Tracy unleashed her 217 kilometres per hour winds. perished at sea. After forming over the Arafura Sea, the storm moved southwards and affected the city with Category4 winds on the Australian cyclone intensity scale, while there is evidence to suggest that it had reached Category3 on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale when it made landfall. The effects of the cyclone on the population of Darwin were profound. [23][24] In 1983, Hoodoo Gurus released "Tojo", a song comparing the Japanese bombing of Darwin under the command of Hideki Tojo during World War II to the damage done by Cyclone Tracy. All told, of Darwin's 12,000 homes . Required fields are marked *. Michael Fisher, . Bureau veteran Mark Williams believes the building boom of the early 1970s was partly to blame. In May 1976, Australian band Ayers Rock released the single "Song for Darwin", also as a fund raiser for the relief and reconstruction efforts. (Bunbury, p. 20)[13]. However, by the 1980s, as many as sixty percent of Darwin's 1974 population had left, never to return. Occupation: Military . [16] The initial estimate put the reported death toll at 65, but it was revised upwards in March 2005 to 71, when the Northern Territory Coroner proclaimed that those six who still remained listed as missing had "perished at sea". 'My first clear memory I have of my childhood life is the night of Cyclone Tracy,' Ms Peris wrote in her Facebook post. Ms Kinang said. You should know: All over the country, funds were collected for the refugees. Cyclone Tracy was a tropical cyclone that devastated the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, from 24 to 26 December 1974. Several new building codes were drawn up, trying to achieve the competing goals of the speedy recovery of the area and ensuring that there would be no repeat of the damage that Darwin took in 1974. But even had there been perfect compliance, the combination of However it is said that the death toll was downplayed and only people who were identified were counted in the death toll. Small towns provided food and shelter as those travelling by road passed through. Then it turned sharply to the Cyclone Tracy was a tropical cyclone that devastated the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, from 24 to 26 December 1974. destruction was probably inevitable anyway. Volunteers came in from across the country to assist with the emergency relief efforts. pdf) Copyright held by Kevin Murphy and reproduced here with author's permission. However, the cyclone and subsequent responses highlighted several problems with the way the regional government was set up. Age: 90 (age at death) Nationality: Australian. For cyclone impacts reported by EM-DAT, zeroes were treated as missing values because they were used as placeholders and their inclusion in the analysis could contribute to the under estimation of tsunami impacts. Cyclone Tracy was a tropical cyclone that devastated the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, from 24 to 26 December 1974. When Cyclones Larry and Yasi both stronger than Tracy hit Innisfail and Mission Beach on 20 March 2006 and 3 February 2011 respectively, there were no casualties. January 11, 2014 - 2:00AM CycloneTracy THIS year marks the 40th anniversary of Cyclone Tracy. Tracy was first detected as a depression in the Arafura Sea on 20 December 1974. Social Cyclone Tracy killed 71 people and seriously injured over 100 people and caused over 500 minor injuries. Darwin was rebuilt and now thrives as one of our most important [6] Cyclone Tracy was first observed on the Darwin radar on the morning of 22 December. At Darwin Airport, thirty-one aircraft were destroyed and another twenty-five badly damaged. Cyclone Tracy Victim by Brian Graham (Sydney) years - many residents were caught unprepared. They sealed off damaged water hydrants and activated pumps to reactivate the city's water and sewerage systems. Australian Associated Press, Amongst them is Labor Senator Nova Peris, who was three years old when the cyclone hit her grandparent's home, Former Darwin mayor Dr Ella Stack, remembers wading through six inches of bloodstained water in a ward at Darwin hospital, where more than 500 people sought medical assistance in the days after Cyclone Tracy, Darwin will also hold a number of events to commemorate the anniversary, includinga multi-faith church service, a government-organised reunion and a screening of a new ABC documentary on the storm, 145 people admitted to hospital with serious injuries, Another 500 people treated for minor injuries, Winds were officially recorded at 217km/h before the Bureau of Meteorology anemometer was destroyed, Darwin's population of 45,000 reduced to 10,000. Cyclone Tracy inspired the song "Santa Never Made It into Darwin", composed by Bill Cate and performed by Bill and Boyd in 1975 to raise money for the relief and reconstruction efforts. Dr Stack remembers sloshing through six inches of bloodstained water in the outpatients' ward at Darwin hospital, where more than 500 people sought medical assistance, in the days after Cyclone Tracy. The railway lines and roads in and around the town were damaged, isolating it from the surrounding regions and supplies. The anemometer (wind speed instrument) failed at around 3:10a.m., with the wind vane (wind direction) destroyed after the cyclone's eye. Warnings were issued, Cyclone Tracy Batters Darwin - 1974 | Today in History | 24 Dec 16 4,640 views Dec 23, 2016 On December 24, 1974, Cyclone Tracy began battering the Australian city of Darwin, resulting in. Filming: Sound recordist David Tranter, cinematographer Tim Alewood, director Danielle MacLean, and interviewee Kootji Raymond. Bureau Home > Tropical Cyclones Winds of Fury: The Full True Story of the Great Darwin Disaster, Keith Cole, Rigby, Adelaide, 1977. Cyclones > Severe Tropical Cyclone Tracy. This was completed within a week. However, in the 20 years leading up to Cyclone Tracy, the city had undergone a period of rapid expansion. This led Malcolm Fraser, Whitlam's successor as Prime Minister, to give self-government to the Territory in 1978. In 1986, the Nine Network and PBL created the mini-series based on the events during the cyclone. The only local radio station that wasn't completely disabled was the ABC's 8DR. Michael Fisher, Ted Roberts and Leon Saunders wrote the series, and it starred Chris Haywood and Tracy Mann, who played the lead characters of Steve and Connie. As usual in such disasters, many communication links failed, but enough survived to let the world know of the [7], Over the next few days, the cyclone moved in a southwesterly direction, passing north of Darwin on 22 December. The small, developing easterly storm had been observed passing clear of the city initially, but then turned towards it early on 24 December. The destruction of transportation infrastructure and the distance between Darwin and the rest of the Australian population played a role, as did the fact the storm made landfall on Christmas Day and most media outlets had only a skeleton crew rostered on at best. The comments below have not been moderated, By [10] Wind gusts increased in strength; between 10p.m. (local time) and midnight, the damage became serious, and residents began to realise that the cyclone would not just pass by the city, but rather over it. Cyclone Tracy had a pressure of 950 hPA and Cyclone Yasi, which crossed the North Queensland coast in 2011, registered 929 hPA. There is all sorts of roaring noises. southwest and intensified, passing close to Bathurst Island on the 23rd and 24th. total damage bill topped $800 million (a colossal sum in 1974). It lists forty-nine names of those who died in the cyclone and the 13 who died at sea. 'Nana said we were all jammed up together for some time in a walk-in wardrobe. Many residents continued to prepare for Christmas, and many attended Christmas parties, despite the increasing winds and heavy rain. During the night we got out of the wardrobe and were all on a mattress under the bed,' Ms Peris said. Miraculously, they survived unharmed and Helen was evacuated to Melbourne where she later gave birth to their son. The cyclones timing and ferocity, the mass evacuations of distressed and injured residents, and the terrible images of destruction shocked many, and reminded them of their human frailty. Several factors delayed the dissemination of the news of the cyclone's impact. ', 'Nana Peris took my sister and I as well as our two dogs to Adelaide, where we stayed for 6 months at an old folks home.'. and On December 5, the city's Christmas tree lights were switched on to honour Tracy's victims, and on Christmas Eve, they will be dimmed in memoriam. In 1983 Hoodoo Gurus released "Tojo", a song comparing the Japanese bombing of Darwin under the command of Hideki Tojo during World War II to the damage done by Cyclone Tracy. Attempts to reconnect the essential services to the city began on Christmas Day. There's continuous thunder and lightning. . [8] The bureau's weather station at Cape Fourcroy measured a mean wind speed of 120km/h (75mph) at 9:00 that morning. It was only then, in the middle of 1978, that Darwins population reached its pre-cyclone levels. The storm was the second-smallest tropical cyclone on record (in terms of gale-force wind diameter), behind only Tropical Storm Marco in 2008. Cyclone Tracy was a tropical cyclone that devastated the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, from 24 to 26 December 1974. By 10:40a.m. VID operators had established VID2 on board the MV Nyanda in Darwin Harbour, and then for five days official communications traffic in and out of Darwin was handled via continuous wave radio (Morse code). [19] By 10:40a.m. VID operators had established VID2 on board the MV Nyanda in Darwin Harbour, and then for five days official communications traffic in and out of Darwin was handled via continuous wave radio (Morse code). Within several weeks, three-quarters of Darwin's Cyclone Tracy, Darwin Fact sheet 176 Records relating to Cyclone Tracy Selected records relating to Cyclone Tracy held by the National Archives in Canberra, Sydney and Darwin are listed below. Documentary Blown Away, from producers James Bradley and Rachel Clements, and written and directed by Danielle MacLean, takes a fresh look at the night the cyclone hit and its devastating effects. Temporary housing, caravans, hotels, and an ocean liner (MV Patris), were used to house people, because reconstruction of permanent housing had not yet begun by September that year. It's been 48 years since Cyclone Tracy wiped out Darwin on Christmas Eve . The elevated house isn't sitting still. The death toll could have stretched into the thousands, but the pitch black night prevented families from leaving their shelters to run the gauntlet of speeding debris and try to rescue possessions. "Tracy" was first detected as a depression in the Arafura Sea on 20 December 1974. Evacuations were prioritised according to need; women, children, the elderly, and the sick were evacuated first. The total damage bill ran Cyclone Tracy greatly affected the environment in many aspects. [17], In order to provide the initial emergency response, a committee was created. In recent years, the deadliest Atlantic . Gough Whitlam, the Australian Prime Minister, was touring Syracuse, Sicily, at the time and flew to Darwin upon hearing of the disaster. In February 1975, Whitlam announced the creation of the Darwin Reconstruction Commission, which was given the task of rebuilding the city "within five years", focusing primarily on building houses. The damage to the city was so severe that some advocated moving the entire city. Darwins near complete destruction led to the introduction of improved building codes across Australia. News of the disaster took hours to reach the rest of the country. Jan 18, 2023 33 min ago; 0 CALIFORNIA FLOODING WINTER STORM RAIN FLOODING BOMB CYCLONE . This was supposedly due to the looming election. All official communications out of Darwin were no longer operational. Career journalist. The cyclone caused great devastation as so many buildings were destroyed, making thousands of people homeless. Major-General Alan Stretton, Director-General of the Natural Disasters Organisation,[8] and the Commonwealth Minister for the Northern Territory, Rex Patterson, arrived at Darwin Airport late on Christmas Day and took charge of the relief efforts. However, by the 1980s, as many as sixty percent of Darwin's 1974 population had left, never to return. This information was recorded by a Bureau of Meteorology staff member at the Darwin airport. Christmas Eve this year will mark 40 years since Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin in 1974, killing 71 people and causing (in todays terms) around AUD$4.45 billion worth of damage. ', 'Mum said Grandad was still in shock [when she came home] and still had us kids in the bathroom with a big mattress wrapped around us.'. Voluntary organisations swung into gear, many sending in teams as soon as news of the disaster broke. Fortunately for Darwin, flooding and storm surge were not major issues or these numbers could have been far higher. Later in the evening, the Darwin meteorological office received an infrared satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's satellite, NOAA-4, showing that the low pressure had developed further and that spiralling clouds could be observed. E.P. They sealed off damaged water hydrants and activated pumps to reactivate the city's water and sewerage systems. Approximately 30,000 people were homeless and were forced to seek shelter in several makeshift housing and emergency centres that lacked proper hygienic conditions. After 10:00p.m. ACST, damage became severe, and wind gusts reached 217 kilometres per hour (134.84mph) before instruments failed. Forty-nine people were killed in the city and a further sixteen There have been 13 tropical cyclones in the 21st century so far with a death toll of at least 1,000, of which the deadliest was Cyclone Nargis, with at least 138,373 deaths when it struck Myanmar. The small, developing easterly storm had been observed passing clear of the city initially, but then turned towards it early on 24 December. Skip to main content Skip to main content. By May 1975, Darwin's population had recovered somewhat, with 30,000 residing in the city. I was a bit nervous about that one, because there are some potentially controversial things in there, but the reception was actually very warm and very pleasing.. Register for more free articles. One only has to look at the photos that were taken of the devestation and you would have to ask, if there were only 64 deaths then were did everyone else hide to survivea lot didnt and the number of deaths I know of is over 200. The 36 Deadliest Tropical Cyclones in World History Death counts from large killer cyclones are highly uncertain, particulary for those before 1900. Cyclone Tracy TV Mini Series 1986 2 h IMDb RATING 7.4 /10 89 YOUR RATING Rate Drama Drama serial based on the devastation wreaked by Cyclone Tracy on an area of Darwin on 24th December 1974. Cyclone Tracy was a tropical cyclone that devastated the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, from 24 to 26 December 1974. Christmas Eve this year will mark 40 years since Cyclone Tracy devastated Darwin in 1974, killing 71 people and causing (in today's terms) around AUD$4.45 billion worth of damage. It moved slowly Mainly not to scare people off from living in Darwin, he says. This page was last modified on 4 December 2022, at 12:12. The DVD is compatible with all region codes and includes special features such as newsreel footage of the devastation and a documentary titled On A Wind and a Prayer. Several of the small towns along the Stuart Highway made efforts to assist people who were fleeing by road, supplying them with food, fuel, rest, and mechanical aid. Sixty-six people were killed, hundreds injured and most of the city left homeless as fierce winds tore through the Northern Territory. Operating continued throughout the night and into the early morning. Despite several warnings, the people of Darwin did not evacuate or prepare for the cyclone. Despite several warnings, the people of Darwin did not evacuate or prepare for the cyclone. 'We'll laugh, cry, share stories; we'll say, 'you've gotten so old and fat!' As a result, Cyclone Tracy took most Darwin residents by surprise. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. After 10:00 p.m. ACST, damage became severe, and wind gusts reached 217 kilometres per hour (134.84 mph) before . Depending on the sources, between 65 and 71 people died in cyclone Tracy. Before the instruments failed, wind gauges registered speeds of 217 kilometres per hour. It left more than 25,000 out of the 47,000 inhabitants of the city homeless prior to landfall and required the evacuation of over 30,000 people, of whom many never returned. In the days and weeks after the disaster most of the traumatised population were evacuated from Darwin. All official communications out of Darwin were no longer operational. I wanted everything to be right for it and good again,' she said. Bruce Stannard of The Age stated that Cyclone Tracy was a "disaster of the first magnitude without parallel in Australia's history.". However, the government insisted that it be rebuilt in the same location. Weather satellite image of Tropical Cyclone Tracy, Records about Cyclone Tracy from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, Australia Broadcasting Corp. Rewind on Cyclone Tracy. The cyclone raged from just after midnight until 7 am with winds exceeding 217 kilometres per hour (unofficial estimates were as high as 300 kilometres per hour). The National Museum of Australia acknowledges First Australians and recognises their continuous connection to Country, community and culture. Upon receiving news of the damage, several community groups across Australia began fundraising and relief efforts to assist the survivors. By However, early in the morning of 24 December, Tracy rounded Cape Fourcroy on the western tip of Bathurst Island, and moved in a southeasterly direction, straight towards Darwin. It destroyed more than 70 percent of Darwin's buildings, including 80 percent of houses. 'There's debris flying past outside. The city itself was sprayed with malathion to control mosquitoes and other similar pests. The army was given the task of searching houses for bodies of people and animals, as well as locating other health risks; for example, cleaning out rotting contents from fridges and freezers across the city. An initial response was to vaccinate residents for typhoid and cholera. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window), Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window), Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window), Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window). On 20 December 1974, the United States' ESSA-8 environmental satellite recorded a large cloud mass centred over the Arafura Sea about 370 kilometres (230mi) northeast of Darwin. catastrophe, and relief measures were soon under way. Blown Away will screen on ABC1 on 8.30pm on December 23. Tropical Cyclone Tracy was the worst of them all By Chris McLennan Updated March 27 2017 - 4:02am, first published 3:51am View + 4 Photos RELATED: Tourist dies in crash: Debbie 'to be worse than Yasi' Chris McLennan National Rural Property Writer ACM national rural property writer based in Bacchus Marsh, Victoria. Most Australians were not aware of the cyclone until late in the afternoon. Joan Allridge, Vice President of the Red Cross in Darwin: Darwin, indeed the whole of Northern Australia, is no stranger to cyclones. But as a result of Tracy , much more attention was given to building codes and In fact, it achieved this in a little more than three years. Quite a few of the characters in the film are Aboriginal, and they talk about Aboriginal stories relating to the cyclone, he says. Thirteen RAN ships were used to transport supplies to the area as part of Operation Navy Help Darwin; the largest humanitarian or disaster relief operation ever performed by the Navy. I was sucked off my bed, down the length of the room and up towards the gaping hole in the roof.'. [7] This was recorded during the eye of the cyclone. He was told in no uncertain terms to mind his own business. The main things Bradley was concerned about in the documentary was the exploration of the death toll (officially at 71) and some of the points of view of Aboriginal interviewees. The storm with the lowest recorded pressure (870 hPa) was Typhoon Tip in 1979. However, early in the morning of 24 December, Tracy rounded Cape Fourcroy on the western tip of Bathurst Island, and moved in a southeasterly direction, straight towards Darwin. On 28 February 1975 the Whitlam government established the Darwin Reconstruction Commission, following the Prime Minister's pledge to make 'a determined and unremitting effort to rebuild your city and relieve suffering'. As soon as the worst of the storm had passed, Darwin faced several immediate health crises. Cyclone Tracy killed at least 66 people. Tracy was found beaten to death in her apartment that she shared with her 18 month o. The initial reconstruction efforts, and the relief given to some of the 645 people injured in the storm, are remembered by no one better than Darwin's former mayor, Dr Ella Stack. It was the worst natural disaster in Australian history. This storm was unpredictable and changed direction by 90 degrees, heading towards Darwin. She treated patients in very difficult conditions for five months after the cyclone, before going on to become mayor of 'a heap of rubble' in 1975 and presided over the city for the first five crucial years of reconstruction, until 1980. From around 6:30a.m., the winds began to ease, with the rainfall ceasing at around 8:30a.m. After making landfall, Tracy rapidly weakened, dissipating on 26 December. In this extract, former Darwin resident LUDIJ PEDEN recounts her family's experience as the cyclone struck. David Longshore, in the book Encyclopedia of Hurricanes, Typhoons, and Cyclones 2008 edition, states that Tracy's barometric pressure was as low as 914 mbar, but the actual lowest pressure was 950 mbar. When we were evacuated, my father, in the RAAF based in Darwin, remained to help in the clean up. In February 1975 the Australian Government established the Darwin Reconstruction Commission, which rebuilt the city over the next three years. [22] The damage to the city was so severe that some advocated moving the entire city. Is it time Harry & Meghan accept Clarkson's apology and move on? In the days and weeks following the disaster, most of the traumatised population left the city. Please note: the most recent calculation of fatalities attributed to Cyclone Tracy is 71. > Past Tropical One of the stories states that the Larrakia people sung to Old Man Rock for the cyclone, so it would come and destroy Darwin because their pleas for land rights werent being answered., Not necessarily all Larrakia people will believe that, but some do. Marcus is considered the city's. Impact and aftermath The cyclone crossed the coast near Fannie Bay at around 3.30 on Christmas morning. So when we started hearing about Tracy we were all a little blas. Cyclone Tracy Cyclone Tracy Victim Since March 2020 life as we know it has changed forever due to the coronavirus COVID-19 Local businesses are adjusting to the 'New Normal', please check with the advertised contact for any updates or changes to an advertised service. As the 40th . Houses were ripped apart like nothing yet they were supposed to have been cyclone rated, people payed to build them and accredit them as cyclone proof, steel rods that were supposed to hold the roof and floors together, running up through the walls. The Darwin office holds a range of published sources about Cyclone Tracy, including the four annual reports of the Darwin Reconstruction Commission. Cyclone Selma had been predicted to hit Darwin earlier in the month, but it instead went north and dissipated without affecting Darwin in any way. However, by the following April, and after receiving criticism for the slow speed of reconstruction, the Commission had built 3,000 new homes in the nearly destroyed northern suburbs, and completed repairs to those that had survived the storm. Another controversial aspect is some of the testimonies from Aboriginal interviewees, of which there are many. Cyclone Tracy, 1974 Quick Statistics 71 Fatalities 650 Injured $200 million Insurance Costs 5000 Homes Destroyed Tropical Cyclone Tracy struck Darwin in the early hours of 25 December 1974; Tracy was rated Category 4. Residents of Darwin were celebrating Christmas, and did not immediately acknowledge the emergency, partly because they had been alerted to an earlier cyclone (Selma) that passed west of the city, and did not impact it in any way. Additionally, news outlets had only a skeleton crew on duty over the holiday. The small, developing easterly storm had initially appeared likely to pass clear of the city, but then turned towards it early on 24 December. The only local radio station that wasn't completely disabled was the ABC's 8DR. The centre was packed. deceased persons from Cyclone Tracy. For the next two days, it was Darwin's only link to the outside world and was on the air for all but 34 hours in the coming weeks.[17]. Milliken estimated that on the eve of the cyclone there were 43,500 people living in 12,000 dwellings in the Darwin area. They scurried to the hall but soon the roof peeled away. PART ONE - in today's NT News PART TWO We were now standing around in a dazed little family huddle. Re-examination of the maximum winds during Tropical Cyclone Tracy The entire fabric of life in Darwin was catastrophically disrupted, with the majority of Woodbury County Auditor seeks to assure voters that the checks and balances in the system work in the wake of alleged voter fraud in the county. [7] From around 6:30a.m., the winds began to ease, with the rainfall ceasing at around 8:30a.m.[7] After making landfall, Tracy rapidly weakened, dissipating on 26 December.[7]. Got out of Darwin 's 1974 population had left, never to return from around 6:30a.m., the legendary anemometer..., particulary for those before 1900 had recovered somewhat, with the lowest recorded pressure ( 870 )! 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