Among supplies flowing into the town were nearly 10,500 gallons of water, 6,000 in-flight meals provided by national flag carrier Qantas, as well as gas and gasoline.

"We've hit this as hard as we possibly could with every possible ounce of effort from the Queensland government and the commonwealth government," Young said.

Prime Minister John Howard on Tuesday pledged that his administration would help shattered communities rebuild.

"The federal government will give what is needed to get these communities back on their feet," Howard said in a radio interview.

Queensland state political leader Premier Peter Beattie said it could take days to restore power and water supplies to Innisfail, a farming town about 60 miles south of the major tourist town of Cairns.

"In the southern part, there's blockages, both in terms of water and the sewerage blockages as well," Beattie later told the Nine Network. He said generators were being sent to provide power until electricity cables are repaired.

The casualty toll was so low because people left town or went to shelters after authorities posted warnings. Residents and officials were mindful of the damage Hurricane Katrina did to New Orleans and Mississippi last August, said Ben Creagh, a spokesman for Queensland state Department of Emergency Services.

"There was absolutely no complacency at the planning level at all, and I think that shows. ... Good planning, a bit of luck ¡ª we've dodged a bullet," he said.

Farmers were among the hardest hit. The region is a major growing region for bananas and sugar cane, and vast tracts of the crops were flattened.

President of the Australian Banana Growers' Council, Patrick Leahy, said he faced at least six months without an income after Cyclone Larry destroyed his banana crop.

The storm was the most powerful to hit Australia since Christmas Eve 1974, when Cyclone Tracy destroyed the northern city of Darwin, killing 65 people.