After causing damage and resulting in at least 23 deaths in the Solomon Islands ‎on April 5, the category 5 Tropical Cyclone Ita came ashore in Queensland‎ in Australia’s northeast.

Dale McCarty VK3DMC reports that no Wireless Institute Civil Emergency Network‎ (WICEN) activation has occurred so far, point in time.

He said frequencies are constantly monitored and many of the Far North Queensland‎ hams are checking in just to see how others are faring.

The frequencies are 7.088 MHz and 3.588 MHz until the cyclone which has been‎ downgraded to a category 1 continues to move south with strong winds and‎ flooding.

When the cyclone came ashore at Cooktown about 50 buildings were damaged‎ another five written off, road were blocked, water supply was critically,‎ power and communications affected.

A strong winds and torrential rain closing airports as the weather system‎ moved south to cause more damage. Sugar cane and banana crops were flattened.

The population were well prepared with many taking refuge in community shelters.‎ The mobile phone service remained mostly intact and fibre optic cables provided ‎communication with some areas.

Tropical Cyclone Ita has formed over the northern Coral Sea to engulf the ‎Solomon Islands which has at least 23 people dead, about 30 people missing, ‎and has left 49,000 homeless.

The country was also felt a 7.6-magnitude earthquake 96 kilometres south southeast ‎of the provincial capital of Kirakira, but it caused minimal damage.

– Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee.