QLD Emergency service first responders remember Cyclone Yasi 10 years on

By the time Cyclone Yasi crossed into the Far North, preparations were under way to evacuate and prepare coastal towns.

Queensland Fire and Emergency Service's assistant commissioner Stephen Smith was the manager of technical rescue during Yasi, responsible for the coordination of specialist capabilities at the time.

Mr Smith was deployed into Cairns 10 years ago and remembers the cyclone's aftermath like it was yesterday.

"We left Cairns once the cyclone made landfall and headed south to the most affected areas, having to cut our way through with chainsaws to get access down the Bruce Highway," Mr Smith said.

"The trees were stripped bare of their leaves and most of the tropical vegetation was gone, with only the main trunks left, it was quite remarkable.

"As we approached Tully, 75 per cent of the buildings in the region had structural damage."

Mr Smith compared the destruction to Cyclone Larry, which had devastated the same area nearly five years before.

Stationed in Tully for more than six weeks, the emergency service crews camped underneath the Tully high school and were completely self-sufficient.

Mr Smith said reviews and inquiries into the disaster led to a wide range of rescue enhancements which would benefit future emergency situations.

"The weather events in that period have had a hugely positive impact on our operations ever since - we experienced and learnt a lot," Mr Smith said.

"We've enhanced our swiftwater capability with specialised motorised swiftwater rescue craft, as well as equipment, training and procedural improvements."

State Emergency Service Far Northern regional director Wayne Coutts coordinated SES efforts in Cairns during Cyclone Yasi.

Mr Coutts said emergency services were fairly confident with the cyclone's direction and proximity.

"We spent a good couple of days beforehand, travelling up and down our coastline to Cardwell, Tully, Innisfail, Babinda and Cairns, making sure that the messages were out there and people were paying attention," Mr Coutts said.

"I was in Cairns as the cyclone crossed and then as it moved further inland and became safe, we started travelling down south with some of the rescue teams going down."

Mr Coutts remembers the destruction of the coastline in the impacted area caused by the large storm surge.

"The biggest surprise was the damage caused by the storm surge - the damage to the roads, especially across the front of Cardwell," he said.

"That was certainly the biggest surge that I'd seen at Tully Heads and Cardwell, it was just phenomenal."

QFES southern command acting inspector Steve Wilson was a senior firefighter in Innisfail when the cyclone hit.

Mr Wilson's crew was positioned at the Innisfail station, with families brought in to stay while their partners were on duty before they headed out to the disaster zone.

"I remember the whole town was very quiet, we checked on businesses and made sure everyone was prepared, but most of them had witnessed Larry and knew what they were in for," Mr Wilson said.