Thousands shelter as 'screaming, howling' Cyclone Debbie hits north Australia
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Wind gusts stronger than 260 km per hour (160 mph) were recorded at tourist resorts along the world-famous Great Barrier Reef as the powerful storm made landfall as a category four, one rung below the most dangerous wind speed level.
It was later downgraded to a category three storm. Forecasters said high winds could persist for as long as 10 hours, although it would then weaken rapidly and was expected to be downgraded to category one before dawn on Wednesday.
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| Outdoor furniture lies in a pool at a motel as Cyclone Debbie hits the northern Queensland town of Airlie Beach, located south of Townsville in Australia, March 28, 2017. AAP/Dan Peled/via REUTERS |
Police said one man was badly hurt when a wall collapsed at Proserpine, about 900 km (560 miles) northwest of the Queensland capital, Brisbane, and was taken to hospital.
However, the weather was still too bad to assess damage fully or mount an emergency response.
"We will also receive more reports of injuries, if not deaths. We need to be prepared for that," Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart told reporters in Brisbane.
Cyclone Debbie made landfall at Airlie Beach, north of Proserpine, shortly after midday local time (0200 GMT), knocking out telephone services.
"It's very noisy: Screaming, howling wind ... sounds like a freight train," Jan Clifford told Reuters by text from Airlie Beach as the cyclone made landfall.
"Still blowing like crazy," she said four hours later.
Authorities had urged thousands of people in low-lying areas to flee their homes on Monday, in what would have been the biggest evacuation seen in Australia since Cyclone Tracy devastated the northern city of Darwin on Christmas Day, 1974.
