Quake and hurricane interrupt locals on holiday in US
AN UNDERSEA earthquake in the Pacific Ocean and the impending destructive winds of Hurricane Sandy have played havoc with Ipswich residents on tour in Hawaii and New York.
Peak Crossing residents Tim Harvey and Cassie Lindenberg were holed up in the Sheraton Hotel in Brooklyn last night awaiting the impending hurricane while six Ipswich footballers in Hawaii were rushed to an evacuation centre minutes after completing their match for the QRL indigenous side against the Hawaiian All Stars.
Mr Harvey's plans to look around New York are on hold but on Facebook he informed his sister Sarah Harvey, a QT photographer, that he was enjoying a few beers in the bar of his hotel and would see the hurricane, dubbed "Frankenstorm", out.
Ms Harvey said her brother was "a big boy" and should be OK so long as he stayed indoors.
Meanwhile a strong earthquake off the coast of Canada caused the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre to issue a tsunami advisory on Saturday night Hawaiian time just after kick-off in a rugby league match. Ipswich players Geoff Broome, Keiron Lander, Ian Lacey, Kurtis Lingwoodock, Brendon Marshall and Donald Malone were playing the match, won 70-8 by the Queensland side.
Ipswich Jets chairman Steve Johnson, who was not on the trip, said the game went ahead because it was on safe ground about 100 feet above sea level.
"The boys were staying at a hotel on the beach at Waikiki so they had to be taken to an evacuation point," Mr Johnson said.
"They didn't get back to their hotel until after midnight.
"I had a chat to Ian Lacey and he said they had to stay at the evacuation centre because they had been expecting a six-foot wall of water which would have put everyone under the third level of the hotel in trouble.
"I was very worried at first because none of the boys had their phones on but luckily the [Australian] consul general of Hawaii Scott Dewar was able to let me know everyone was safe."
