Felicity was very rapidly developing as it made landfall near the Gilbert River mouth in the SE Gulf. Infrared satellite imagery showed a clear eye had formed right at landfall surrounded by cold cloud tops (T5.5 on the Dvorak satellite cloud top temperature intensity scale).

A Barramundi fisherman has his house 12 feet above the high tide level and the sea came up to within 4 feet of the house which is an 8 ft(2.5m) surge. The house remained in offshore winds so that the surge would have been greater to the north. The strongest winds were from the SE and 80% of the trees were blown down and all trees were stripped of leaves. The wind was of sufficient strength to blow over a heavy stove which took 4 men to lift.

Rockhampton Regional Council in partnership with the Queensland a…