Monster storm threatens mass devastation along Queensland coast

Cyclone Debbie’s ‘destructive core’ has finally struck the north coast of Queensland, bringing devastating gale-force winds with gusts of 275km/h, record-breaking rainfall and surging tides threatening widespread floods.

After battering the Whitsunday Islands for five straight hours, the storm closed in on Australia’s east coast before making landfall between Bowen and Airlie Beach just after midday. It was downgraded to a Category 3 as it hit the mainland.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk described the cyclone a ‘one in a hundred year event’, warning residents across the 1000-odd kilometre stretch of picturesque coastline to bunker down and wait for the dangerous storm to pass. ‘What we have seen is rainfall in excess of 210 millimetres that has fallen within the past hour. This is equivalent to a one in a hundred year event... we are seeing unprecedented levels of rainfall in that area,’ Ms Palaszczuk said.  After the storm set in, a man was badly injured after he was struck by a falling wall in Proserpine and was rushed to hospital in an unknown condition. 
DAILY MAIL, 28th 
MARCH, 2017