You call THAT a category 5...?

The timing of Cyclone Marcia couldn't have been any worse for the new Queensland government. At its first cabinet meeting, Labor's top policy priorities had to be put on hold to focus on disaster management

A CLIMATE researcher at Central Queensland University has claimed the weather bureau's Cyclone Marcia forecasts were inaccurate and irresponsible.

Jennifer Morahasy said the bureau had used computer modelling rather than early readings from weather stations to determine that Marcia was a category 5 cyclone, not a category 3.

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Dr Morahasy, who has previously clashed with the bureau over official temperature records used in arguments over global warming, said the warning should have been revised down to a category 3 given wind speeds recorded at Middle Percy Island were well below a category 5.

"It's important that the people of Yeppoon who think they've been through a category 5 know they've only been through a weak category 3,'' she said.

"Don't get me wrong, Yeppoon was really badly battered, but category 5 cyclones kill and we can tell it wasn't a category 5 on the surface readings and by the extent of the damage."

Bureau chief Rob Webb rejected the allegations, saying to suggest the bureau relied solely on modelling was incorrect.

He said the US Joint Typhoon Warning Centre had analysed Marcia as at least a category 4.

Cyclone Marcia hits Qld

Forecasters were aware of the lesser wind speed (208km/hr) recorded at Middle Percy but would not downgrade the forecast because the cyclone's strongest winds were to the east of the weather station.

Mr Webb said it would have been playing with people's lives to take such a punt.

Forecaster Jess Carey said the bureau's position was that the storm was a category 5.

The bureau's work would be reviewed as has occurred with every major weather event.

Retired senior severe weather forecast Jeff Callaghan said peak winds pulsed as storms travelled.

US Hurricane Katrina weakened just before landfall from category 5 to category 3, but still did enormous damage.

"What we know was that Marcia was a very powerful small storm as it travelled over quite a lot of land to reach the Rockhampton-Yeppoon area,'' he said.

"Similar intense small cyclones like Monica in the Top End in 2006 and of course Tracy both weakened soon after landfall.''

Qld Premier says around 350 homes have been too badly damaged by Cyclone Marcia for their owners to return.

A meteorologist who works for a commercial forecasting service and did not want to be quoted said because Marcia's strongest winds were not recorded by any station the argument was academic.

"In short, it looks more like a cat 4 but anything above a cat 3 is severe. The important thing is that people take heed of warnings,'' he said.

Jonathan Nott, a James Cook University specialist in extreme natural events, said the bureau numbers showed it was a category 5 rather than a 3.

"I would agree with the bureau,'' Professor Nott said.

"Percy didn't get the strongest winds. They were substantially stronger to the east.''

Systems Engineering Australia principal Bruce Harper, a modelling and risk assessment consultant who analyses cyclones, said it was often difficult to determine whether a storm was a marginal 3, 4 or 5.

What was important was that after the bureau conducted its post-storm analysis, it told people that they experienced category 3 impacts as it passed over the land.

It was dangerous for residents to be thinking they had survived a category 5 when it was a storm that degraded quickly.

Soldiers from 31/42 Royal Queensland Regiment help the cleanup in Rockhampton. Pic: Defence Media Source: Supplied

Rocky army of workers gets cracking

ALMOST 400 homes have been destroyed and at least 1000 properties have structural damage as the extent of devastation caused by Cyclone Marcia continues to emerge.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will today land in Rockhampton flanked by interim State Disaster Recovery Co-ordinator, acting Commissioner Katarina Carroll, to map out how to get central Queensland back on its feet.

She said 3800 properties had so far been assessed and while about 1000 had structural damage, 380 homes had been rendered uninhabitable.

"We know families are going through hardship," she said.

"We are standing with these communities."

Ms Carroll said she would ensure the recovery response was effective, efficient and "as quick as possible".

Residents struggled through their fifth day without power – and an ice shortage – with generators stolen and a bottle shop looted in the disaster zone.

Many are frustrated and angry at the lack of power and phone and internet services, shortages of fuel and ice, and a long wait for SES crews and insurance assessors.

SES volunteers help residents with the removal of trees brought down by Cyclone Marcia. Pic: Jack Tran Source: News Corp Australia

An army of workers, including soldiers, battled to restore power, water and telecommunications and clear tonnes of debris.

Ergon Energy admitted yesterday that power may not be fully restored until next week.

In what angry locals branded the "lowest of low" acts, six generators powering traffic lights in the Rockhampton CBD were stolen over the weekend. Thieves struck again after they were replaced, siphoning precious fuel. Three teens were also charged with looting a Yeppoon bottle shop.

About 100 soldiers arrived from Townsville yesterday joining SES volunteers, council workers and tree loppers cleaning up tonnes of debris.

Police, SES and council reinforcements are being sent from other areas to relieve exhausted comrades.

Brisbane mates Nic Marchesi and Lucas Patchett, who run a free mobile laundry service for the homeless, brought their van to the cyclone-ravaged region and were swamped with grateful residents brandishing baskets of muddy and smelly washing.