In fact they had been ready from the moment that then-Queensland Premier Anna Bligh issued her stark warning about Yasi having the potential to be the biggest cyclone the state had ever seen. Communities that don’t have power means chaos, and Mr Copelin knew well enough that being prepared was the best line of defence.
Queenslanders are a tough breed, but Cyclone Larry, which left its own path of destruction on the region in March 2006, had taught everyone a lesson, says Mr Copelin. “Many people up north are used to cyclones. They know what to do and how to prepare for an imminent cyclone, but Yasi was different. It was much stronger and more widespread. So many people were affected.”
The legacy of Yasi
Wind gusts near the centre of the cyclone reached around 285 km per hour and its havoc extended 400 km along the coast and inland to Mount Isa. The worst affected areas were around Mission Beach, Tully, Silkwood, Innisfail and Cardwell. The paradise that normally enveloped the towns was now a mess of destroyed homes, shredded banana and sugarcane crops and smashed marinas and resorts. In addition to personal suffering, the agriculture, mining and tourism industries also bore the brunt of Yasi’s devastation.
The lessons from Larry
Disaster prevention, relief and recovery are tasks of enormous magnitude, and one that takes the hard work and commitment of an entire community. Mr Copelin and his team were an essential part of this effort. Because of its great size, and the lessons learnt from Larry, the thousands of residents in the path of Yasi were urged to evacuate, including thirty thousand people from Cairns alone. Mr Copelin and his team worked around the clock to set up Olympian generator sets at the evacuation centres to ensure power was available for essential services in these extraordinary conditions.
The storm cut power to more than 200,000 properties and, a month after Yasi hit, there were still approximately 700 properties without power because they had not been deemed safe for reconnection. Mr Copelin and his team normally field one order per week for Olympian generator sets, but the phone rang off the hook with enquiries, from those who weren’t prepared to farmers whose existing generators had either failed or couldn’t supply enough power.
Olympian generators
Natural disasters cannot be prevented, and electrical safety is one of the biggest concerns at these times, but good planning, with the assistance of professionals like Mr Copelin, can assist in speedy and safe recovery strategies. Summer cyclones are a way of life in these parts and in Yasi’s aftermath the Queensland Government announced that it would build permanent evacuation centres in the region, all installed with Olympian generator sets.
Olympian generator sets are designed, engineered and manufactured for optimal performance at an ISO 9001 Caterpillar facility for both prime power and standby service. They deliver dependable, clean and economical power, even in the most demanding conditions, all benchmarked to the highest safety standards.
Many of the residents of the area who were assisted by Mr Copelin and the team at KAC Generation and Mechanical in the lead up to and the aftermath of Yasi are testament to this. Craig Teitzel, from Cardwell IGA, says that having an Olympian generator set pre-installed by KAC was the best money he ever spent.
Mr Teitzel believes that it is imperative that every services business in North Queensland has a generator on stand-by. “As soon as we lost power on the night of Yasi our generator kicked in. [Mr Copelin] had already had it installed and it kept us fully operational for the next three weeks.” Mr Teitzel’s business was not only able to continue to service a community in isolation, but also assist locals with refrigeration and other essential power needs thanks to the company’s Olympian generator and the support of KAC.
Energy Power Systems Australia
Energy Power Systems Australia (EPSA) is Australia’s specialised Caterpillar® engine dealer, supplying Australia, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands with the world’s finest power systems for any application, from marine propulsion to industrial power, electric power generation, oil and gas drilling and offshore production. With an extensive model range, EPSA can configure a solution to meet the needs of any application using a choice of diesel or gas engines.
EPSA also has a national fleet of rental generators, air compressors and temperature control units. Rent the latest technology and products with no maintenance and storage costs. Rent for a day or however long you need with a quick response anywhere in Australia.
EPSA is also a solutions provider, offering design, engineering, procurement and construction for turn-key projects of all sizes and across a broad range of applications.
For more information visit www.energypower.com.au or call 1800 800 441.