Mini-tornado hits Australian city of Townsville

Andrew Rankin / EPA

A man steps on a tree which feel down in his yard in the suburb of Vincent following a small tornado in Townsville, Australia.

AFP - Getty Images

A image grab taken from a broadcast by ABC TV on March 20, 2012 shows the flooding caused by a devastating mini-tornado which tore through the Australian city of Townsville.

Andrew Rankin / EPA

Jean Benton with her 28 foot flybridge boat 'Wincor', which survived Cyclone Yasi in Cardwell last year but not this storm, is turned over in the suburb of Vincent, Townsville.

 

The Australian News reports: Queensland Premier Anna Bligh said she had received ''very distressing'' reports of a ferocious storm that stripped trees of its vegetation and left thousands of homes in three suburbs without power.

The Department of Community Safety reported damage to 25 to 30 houses with some losing their entire roofs.

 

Sign up for the msnbc.com Photos Newsletter

Discuss this post

Excuse me I live in the Midwest there is no such thing as a MINI tornado! No matter the size they are distructive.

    Reply#1 - Tue Mar 20, 2012 9:50 AM EDT
    You're in Easy Mode. If you prefer, you can use XHTML Mode instead.
    As a new user, you may notice a few temporary content restrictions. Click here for more info.