Visitors return to Hamilton Island after cyclone
Contributors are not employed, compensated or governed by TD, opinions and statements are from the contributor directly
23 Mar 10 (TravMedia.com): Hamilton Island is welcoming back plane-loads of guests this week, following a swift and concerted clean-up in the wake of Cyclone Ului. Much of the Island is back to looking its best, just 48 hours after the storm.
Category three cyclone, Ului, passed over Hamilton Island in the early hours of Sunday morning, causing severe weather conditions. Strong wind gusts of up to 200km/h and rain showers mostly resulted in damage to vegetation, such as fallen trees and some broken windows. However, no significant structural damage occurred to any of the hotels, due to their construction to the highest cyclone rating. Most importantly, all guests, residents and staff remained safe.
All flights and ferry services resumed on Monday 22nd March and most activities have restarted on the Island. Extra equipment was hired in from the mainland to help clear vegetation as quickly as possible and it was ‘all hands on deck’ as the Island’s residents volunteered to support staff in the clean-up effort. Power was quickly restored to the Island through the use of Hamilton Island’s own generator.
Glenn Bourke, Hamilton Island CEO, commented, “Hamilton Island’s extensive and rigorous cyclone procedures were definitely put to the test over the weekend. Naturally our focus was on the safety and comfort of our guests. We were well prepared for the bad weather and had taken all necessary steps to ‘batten down the hatches’. This included removing all outdoor furniture and bringing all our vehicles indoors, as well as ensuring we had adequate food provisions for everyone.”
He continues, “We are really proud of our staff and residents, everyone has pulled together exceptionally well. While we still have some work to do, it’s great to see how quickly we are returning to ‘business as usual’.”
Comments are closed.