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Cyclone Debbie: eye of storm makes landfall in north Queensland – live updates
Cyclone Debbie: eye of storm makes landfall in north Queensland – live updates
(35 minutes later)
6.04am BST
06:04
Palaszczuk has met with local mayors and said they have been kept up to date. She said lessons had been learned from previous cyclones.
“The mood is one of uncertainty,” she said.
“We’re seeing families at the moment are getting hammered by this system. This would be an incredibly scary moment for them, and they would have been going through it for hours and hours and hours.”
Palaszczuk said there were evacuees in shelters across the region, and some people had shown up to hospitals seeking shelter. They were all being looked after, she said.
The cyclone is expected to track over the Emerald area, the bureau spokesman said, and flooding is likely.
5.59am BST
05:59
The threat of storm surge in Mackay has passed for now, a spokesman for the bureau of meteorology has said.
“By a whisker we’ve missed out.”
The surge is increasing but the tide is dropping, and it’s believed the threat has passed, he said. Some communities have faced some water inundation.
He said the cyclone took a “crooked path” but it was on its way and had sped up slightly to 12km/h but was still extremely slow.
Previous cyclones were faster, he said. Larry was about 30-40km/h, and Yasi was somewhere in between.
5.55am BST
05:55
One man injured in Proserpine
The police commissioner has warned there may be deaths from this cyclone.
One man has been “hurt badly” by a collapsing wall in Proserpine and has been taken to hospital, Stewart has confirmed.
“What we need to brace for, this is a very destructive storm and storm system … and we are going to get lots of reports of damage and, sadly, I think we will also receive reports of injuries, if not death.”
Stewart said the reason behind his warning was the loss of power and phone connectivity cutting off communities.
“We just don’t know about it.”
Updated
at 6.05am BST
5.53am BST
05:53
The Queensland police commissioner, Ian Stewart, has urged people to stay off the roads if they don’t need to go out in the aftermath of the cyclone, to leave them free for emergency services.
“Stay at home, start to clean up your own area, but leave the roads and other tasks to emergency services personnel.”
He has also warned against looting and asked people to photograph and report anyone doing so to police.
Updated
at 6.04am BST
5.52am BST
05:52
45,000 homes without power
More than 45,000 homes are without power and major trees are down, the Queensland premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, has just said.
There have also been preliminary reports of serious damage to structures in Proserpine.
Palaszczuk said winds around the eye of the storm were increasing and emergency services in the area were unable to go out to assist people at the moment.
“This is a dangerous cyclone,” she said. “People must stay indoors. Please do not go outside, and please contact the emergency services for assistance. When they can help you over the phone, they will.”
She said strong winds would continue for eight to 10 hours in Proserpine, and four to six hours in Bowen, and the impact of Cyclone Debbie would continue for the next three days.
Updated
at 5.56am BST
5.49am BST
05:49
The view from #Sarina Beach. #TCDebbie #CycloneDebbie pic.twitter.com/0R5V3OUGlY
5.41am BST
05:41
Once the cyclone drops down to a tropical low, around Wednesday, it’s expected to move south-east and bring rain to inland regions, the Bureau of
Rainfall has reached 80mm an hour in some inland areas and it’s expected to reach up to 200m an hour or even higher.
Below is the current flood warning summary:
Major flood warning for the Pioneer river
Moderate flood warning for the Don river and flood warning for the Proserpine river
Minor flood warning for the lower Isaac river
Flood watch for coastal catchments between Ayr and the NSW border, extending inland to parts of the central highlands and coalfields, central west, Maranoa and Warrego, and Darling Downs and Granite Belt forecast districts.
Updated
at 5.52am BST
5.31am BST
05:31
The disaster monitoring service Force 13 has shared what it says is footage of Cyclone Debbie, captured by the International Space Station as it moved over the Pacific Ocean. It is truly breathtaking.
5.16am BST
5.16am BST
05:16
05:16
Michael Shaw in Airlie Beach has sent us this video, showing the strength of the cyclone winds and damage it’s caused to his home.
Michael Shaw in Airlie Beach has sent us this video, showing the strength of the cyclone winds and damage they have caused to his home.
Wild winds and damage in Airlie Beach. Video: Michael Shaw #CycloneDebbie pic.twitter.com/B5hlq0ZaNO
Wild winds and damage in Airlie Beach. Video: Michael Shaw #CycloneDebbie pic.twitter.com/B5hlq0ZaNO
Updated
Updated
at 5.21am BST
at 5.51am BST
5.08am BST
5.08am BST
05:08
05:08
This high-definition image is from the Himawari-8 satellite, taken a little while ago as the cyclone crossed the north Queensland coast.
This high-definition image is from the Himawari-8 satellite, taken a little while ago as the cyclone crossed the north Queensland coast.
Updated
Updated
at 5.22am BST
at 5.22am BST
4.58am BST
04:58
Federal assistance has already been mobilised, in a number of different ways, ministers have told parliament this afternoon. From AAP:
HMAS Choules is on the way to provide emergency assistance, and 1,000 ADF members have been deployed or are on standby to assist, according to the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull.
RAAF airlift aircraft, as well as army and navy hospital helicopters, are ready to assist and army engineering units are also prepared.
Brigadier Chris Field, who played a key role in 2011 flood reconstruction in Queensland, has been appointed recovery coordinator.
Medical, counselling and search and rescue teams have been deployed along with army engineers ready to clear roads and navy personnel to clear debris from harbours.
The justice minister, Michael Keenan, told parliament the disaster response plan would allow the fast-tracking of requests for non-financial assistance from the Australian government, including ADF capability such as satellite imagery.
Two federal emergency management assistance experts have been embedded with Queensland authorities.
Once the cyclone passed, jointly funded natural disaster recovery and relief arrangements would be put in place, allowing the reimbursement of up to 75% of state spending.
“This will assist people to meet their in needs, such as emergency hardship or stress payments, support for local councils and assistance for state governments to rebuild essential assets,” Keenan said.
“We will assist Queensland with what will be significant costs after Tropical Cyclone Debbie.”
The human services minister, Alan Tudge, said the national emergency call centre had been put on standby to help the Queensland government.
He said if the cyclone was formally declared a “major disaster”, departmental staff and social workers would be deployed to community evacuation centres, as well as a mobile service bus.
Support would also be given to pharmacists to maintain supplies of medicines.
Updated
at 5.24am BST
4.48am BST
04:48
Joshua Robertson
Rosalind Willcocks, who owns a caravan park at Hideaway Bay, halfway between Bowen and Airlie Beach, says the cyclone has “absolutely ripped us to shreds”.
The Hydeaway Bay Caravan and Camping Park is a couple of hundred metres from the oceanfront, close to the point where Cyclone Debbie hit the mainland.
Rosalind and husband Paul sent their guests packing a few days ago as a precaution, in retrospect a very sensible call.
Debbie’s roaring winds have stripped the site bare (apart from the brick buildings) and sent “all sorts of crap” flying and uprooted dozens of large trees.
“We’ve got the eye over us at the moment. It’s just destroyed our trees and our garden,’ she said.
“The buildings are brick but we did lose a barbecue, fridge, things like that went flying off.
“We have at least 30 trees down. There are just no leaves left, they’ve been shredded.”
The couple are relying on a new generator that has already failed once.
“There’s only two of us here to clean it all up,” she said.
“Hopefully we’ve passed the worst of it now and we’ve just got a few days of cleaning up and wait for the electricity to come back.”
4.21am BST
04:21
Debbie declared a catastrophe: ICA
The insurance industry peak body has officially declared Cyclone Debbie a catastrophe.
The Insurance Council of Australia’s declaration triggers the establishment of a taskforce, the opening of an emergency hotline and the mobilisation of staff to work directly with local services and policy holders.
“Insurers are already taking calls from policyholders, and many have teams standing by to enter the impact zone, assess claims and deliver assistance to their customers,” said the ICA’s chief executive, Rob Whelan.
“Insurers are prioritising claims from this disaster, and using a triage system to get assistance to those policyholders in most urgent need of assistance first.”
Cyclone Yasi caused insured losses of $1.4bn.
Insurer's peak body declared #CycloneDebbie a catastrophe, first of thousands of expected claims already coming in pic.twitter.com/m1puvhnP2e
Updated
at 4.50am BST
4.16am BST
04:16
Joshua Robertson
With the eye of the cyclone passing just north of Airlie Beach, resident Tony Fontes reported a typical, deceptive moment of respite from roaring winds and driving rain.
He sent the following text about 45 minutes ago.
“It has calmed right down and no rain. We are OK but have lost a few more trees. Mobile phone and internet are very dodgy.”
4.09am BST
04:09
There are reports of people attempting to go for a surf at Airlie Beach – or if we are looking at this image, standing by the shore contemplating going in.
Either way, not clever.
What is this clown doing??? There's debris flying everywhere and this guys going for a surf!! @9NewsQueensland @9NewsAUS #CycloneDebbie pic.twitter.com/lR1YyoZqyk
If you do want to have some cyclone-related fun, this resident has expertly had a go during a live TV interview from the safety of his living room.
The hardy residents of Far North Queensland and the perils of live television.....#CycloneDebbie pic.twitter.com/gKZCntGdvr
The eye is now over the Airlie Beach area and the official advice is to not go outside, even though it seems calm. Strong winds could resume at any time.
Mackay is really copping it now. #TCDebbie pic.twitter.com/ObfE0XaLP0
#cyclonedebbie arrives in #Mackay @ABCemergency pic.twitter.com/FhPHvA6I6l
Updated
at 4.51am BST
3.58am BST
03:58
Here are a few snaps and clips from around the cyclone-affected region.
“It’s been a long night and day,” Rebecca Nicol tells Guardian Australia.
“No power of course. Wind has been swirling and gusting. Eye has just passed. We live right on the edge of Abell Point marina.”
The video Nicol has sent was taken at about 10.30 this morning when it was gusting about 120 knots.
Rebecca Nicol has sent in this clip from Airlie Beach. #CycloneDebbie pic.twitter.com/vVChv6vDBq
Just heard part of the awning from the building next door fly down the street in Bowen. #CycloneDebbie
An ABC journalist, Jonathan Hair, took this photo of the Airlie port marina. Airlie Beach is now under the eye of the storm.
Damage to boats at Airlie Beach. Shot from hotel room. Eye just passed over. Round two coming. @abcnews #TCDebbie pic.twitter.com/zHSqedIASm
It's eerily quiet here now as we enter the eye of the storm. Fences and trees down. #CycloneDebbie #TCDebbie #Whitsundays #airliebeach
Kev and Donna Poschelk are riding out the storm in their home in Bowen with Josh, who is surely having a memorable 13th birthday.
“We’re looking towards the east where the eye of the cyclone is supposed to be. Wind is coming from the west behind us (all day). No electricity and no TV so we are sitting on the lounge watching the action through open (cyclone-rated) lattice.”
Updated
at 4.54am BST
3.46am BST
03:46
'This is going to be a terrible disaster'
From AAP:
Residents in the path of Cyclone Debbie could be waiting until Wednesday for emergency help, as the destructive slow-moving storm keeps the region in lockdown for hours.
The northern region SES manager, Dale Camp, said strong winds were expected to continue into the evening.
The high-level category-four system is not expected to weaken to a tropical low until midday on Wednesday.
“It’s a very slow-moving cyclone, so we’re talking anywhere between six and 14 hours until it’s completely over in each location,” he said. “So that puts it well into this evening, and that’s the problem, everyone is going to have to stay in their house all day, and then stay there all night as well.
Camp said poor light in the evening would hamper any clean-up efforts.
“We have to wait for that wind to die down before we move around, and if it’s at night time it makes it very difficult to see things like floodwaters, so they’ll probably be waiting until first light tomorrow,” he said.
Debbie had moved as slow as 4km/h in heading to the north Queensland coast on Tuesday morning but quickened to 12km/h as the eyewall made landfall near Airlie Beach just after midday.
A Whitsundays councillor, John Collins, said Cyclone Debbie was one of the slowest he had experienced.
“I’ve been through a few cyclones that are quick and nasty but this one is going to go all day,” he said.
“It’s a long wait, sitting here waiting while it tears everything up.
“This is going to be a terrible disaster when it is all over and done with.”
Updated
at 4.53am BST
3.29am BST
03:29
Here is the latest tracking map from the Bureau of Meteorology. Debbie has just made landfall between Airlie Beach and Bowen as a category-four cyclone.
#CycloneDebbie is crossing the coast between #Bowen and #AirlieBeach. Stay updated at https://t.co/FBmpsInT9o pic.twitter.com/w0XcgFLPXL
Updated
at 4.55am BST
3.24am BST
03:24
If you have taken video or photos of Cyclone Debbie, please send them through to helen.davidson@theguardian.com. We would love to run them on the site.
This request is only if you are able to do so safely. Please don’t take any risks.
3.19am BST
03:19
Cyclone eye reaches mainland
The eye of Cyclone Debbie has now reached mainland Queensland, making landfall between Bowen and Airlie Beach.
It’s estimated to be 50km east south-east of Bowen and 30km north-east of Proserpine. It has picked up speed slightly but remains very slow, moving south-west at 12km/h.
URGENT: #CycloneDebbie starting to make landfall btwn Bowen & Airlie Beach. If winds stop, you are only in Eye. DO NOT GO OUTSIDE. #alert
The local ABC radio transmitter at Bowen has lost power and residents are urged to tune into the 630 AM frequency for emergency coverage.
