Much of the city had to be rebuilt. A large amount of the population left and have never returned. Others stayed to rebuild their city and their lives.
In Darwin, 65 people got killed in Cyclone Tracy, either killed in the city or drowned at sea.
Cyclone Tracy is the only cyclone to have directly hit and damaged Darwin, to date. Many cyclones circulate in the waters east and west of Darwin each year. Only four have caused significant damage in and around Darwin, and these occurred in 1897 (when the city was still known as Palmerston); 1917; 1937; and 1974.
Cyclone Tracey hit Darwin, Australia on the 24th of December(CHRISTMAS EVE) and killed 65 people.
When Cyclone Tracy hit in 1974, Darwin was a city of 43,500 people living in 12,000 residences. This figure does not include the indigenous communities within the city, or in outlying areas.
Cyclone Tracy was a tropical cyclone that devastated the city of Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia, from Christmas Eve to Christmas Day, 1974.The cyclone killed 71 people.
Three quarters of the population of Darwin were left homeless. 9,000 homes were destroyed, out of a city which had 12,000 residences. Prior to the cyclone, Darwin had around 43,500 people, but after Tracy hit, approximately 30,000 were homeless.
Cyclone Tracy
When Cyclone Tracy hit Darwin Harbour, there were many fishing vessels which were damaged, with loss of life. Some 16 people who were aboard the vessels at sea disappeared; their bodies were never found.
Cyclone Tracy (Darwin 1974)Cyclone Larry (Innisfail: 2006)Cyclone Mahina (Bathurst Bay: 1899)Cyclone Fran (Bundaberg: 1993)Cyclone Wanda (dumped hundreds of mm of rain upstream in the Brisbane River, leading to the 1974 Brisbane floods)Arguably, the most famous cyclone was Cyclone Tracy. It devastated Darwin on Christmas Eve in 1974, "officially" killed 65 people (16 at sea) and injured 650. Nearly 70% of homes were destroyed. Some 35000 people had to be evacuated. The damage bill was $800 million dollars.
Cyclone Tracy formed 21 December 1974. It hit Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia December 24-25, 1974. And dissipated December 26th. Cyclone Tracy killed 71 people. Tracy destroyed over 70% of Darwin's infrastructure. And left almost 90% of the population homeless. It caused $837 million in damage.
The Australian community, that is, the general republic, responded generously with food and clothing. These items were transported by the defence forces to be distributed to needy people quickly after the cyclone hit. However, it should be remembered that most of Darwin's population was evacuated to southern cities after the cyclone, with many people staying with relatives. Some of the food and other items had to be diverted to these other centres. A large number of these people never returned to Darwin.
On Christmas Day, 25 December 1974, the cyclone left Darwin in shreds. The wind gauge at Darwin Airport officially recorded winds of 217 kilometres per hour before being blown away itself. 71 people were killed, and 9,000 homes destroyed, out of a city of 43,500 people living in 12,000 residences. Many buildings were not built to withstand cyclonic forces, despite being in the cyclone belt. Of the people aboard the 22 vessels at sea when the cyclone struck, 16 were never found. Most of Darwin's residents were evacuated following the devastation, and many of them never returned. However, Darwin was rebuilt according to new building codes, and it is now regarded as a modern multicultural city of around 100,000 people.