FEAR WAS REAL AS STORM NEARED
FIVE years earlier Innisfail had been the unwelcome focal point of Cyclone Larry, so when another, even more powerful storm seemed to be heading their way, the fear was palpable.
Firefighter Steve Wilson has lived in the Cassowary Coast town for more than 30 years and still remembers the underlying tension as Yasi approached - both among his colleagues and the entire town.
On February 3, 2011, his team, their families and pets locked themselves in the fire station - a sturdy building on Fitzgerald Esplanade - reinforcing the front door with big metal beams.
"Once the winds hit 80km/h, no trucks are allowed out the door," he said.