AYR, Australia, (MILLAT ONLINE/APP/AFP) – Torrential
rain hampered relief efforts Thursday after a powerful cyclone wreaked havoc in northeast Australia, with floods sparking emergency rescues as fed-up tourists wait to be evacuated from resort islands.
Cyclone Debbie has pummelled Queensland state since crashing ashore
as category four storm on Tuesday between Bowen and Airlie Beach, ripping up
trees, washing boats onto land and causing widespread damage.
It has been downgraded to a tropical low as it tracks southeast, but
continues to pack damaging wind gusts and dump huge amounts of rain, with
Brisbane now in the firing line.
Meteorologists forecast the city would be soaked by a month’s worth
of rain in a single day, with the popular Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast areas also in for a drenching before the system moves offshore on Friday.
“We have a very, very large state here and this is a very, very big
weather system that’s going to wreak havoc all the way down the coast,” Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said.
Emergency service crews rescued dozens of people overnight and early
Thursday from floodwaters west of Mackay, with some plucked from roofs and tops of cars.
“Significant rainfall in Mackay — sudden increase in calls for
service. A number of rescues undertaken & still being undertaken,” Queensland police tweeted.
Despite this, no deaths have been reported with only one significant
injury — a man crushed by a collapsing wall. Before the cyclone hit, thousands of people moved to higher ground, out of the area or to safe refuges.