Australia's Katrina-sized mega-cyclone: By the numbers

Cyclone Yasi is one of the biggest — and likely most catastrophic — storms to ever hit Australia. Here's a look at the current and predicted toll

A satellite photo taken Wednesday of the "monster cyclone" Yasi shows the storm approaching the northeast coast of Australia.
(Image credit: Corbis)

Australia is bracing as Cyclone Yasi, one of the worst storms in its history, begins what could be a slow crawl across the northeastern state of Queensland. Yasi is a Category 5 storm, inviting comparisons to Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico. (Watch an ITN News report about the storm.) "We are facing a storm of catastrophic proportions," says Queensland Premier Anna Bligh. Here's a look at the storm and its destructive potential, by the numbers:

310 miles

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