Australian officials raised damage estimates from Cyclone Larry in Northern Queensland to more than $1 billion Wednesday as heavy rains slowed relief efforts. Prime Minister John Howard visited the area around Innisfail Wednesday with regional officials and announced various loans and grants to spur recovery from Monday’s storm that packed winds of up to 185 mph. Innisfail is a town of about 8,000 people 50 miles south of Cairns, and is the center of Australia’s banana- and avocado-growing region. The cyclone destroyed farm areas responsible for 80 percent of Australia’s production. An estimated 10 percent of Australia’s sugar crop has been wiped out. Some 1,500 soldiers and relief workers are on the scene, and local farmers have donated boxes of avocados and bananas with “handpicked by Larry” written on the side, the Australian Broadcasting Corp., reported. The army has provided tarpaulins for many of the estimated 7,000 homeless, and officials said it could take a week to restore power to the area. There were no deaths associated with the storm. © Copyright 2006 by United Press International

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