GROUND ZERO A NQ takes cover as monster moves in
AIRLIE Beach went into hibernation yesterday as it anxiously awaited the arrival of Category 4 Cyclone Debbie this morning.
The Whitsunday party town looked like a town that was waiting for a cyclone.
Its normally bustling main street was deserted, save for the odd bare- chested male backpacker looking for a bar that might be open.
Even Magnums, the global backpacker bar in the heart of the village was closed and silent as driving rain and wind gusts provided a glimpse of what might be expected this morning.
Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Andrew Willcox said the SES had distributed 10,000 sandbags to residents worried about flooding rain and an expected storm surge.
Torrential rain yesterday already had some local creeks in flood and in lowlying areas sugar cane stood in half a metre of water.
With this amount of water around, the prognosis for the greater Whitsunday region dodging a big flood from what looks certain to be a lot more rain today and in the days to follow is not good.
For some, Cyclone Debbie means massive disruption to travel plans.
Californian visitors Tracey Kumsang, Michelle Hagen and Bon Kumsang struck a forlorn sight as they struggled down the main street yesterday afternoon, looking for a place where they could buy food.
The trio had been left stranded in Airlie after having to bring their chartered catamaran in three days early because of the impending cyclone.
Now with planes cancelled and airports closed they are sitting it out, busily Google searching “cyclones” and “Australia” to find out what manner of beast they might be dealing with.
The cyclone dashed their travel plans and meant they did not get to anchor off world famous Whitehaven Beach or to dive the Great Barrier Reef.
“The main purpose of chartering the catamaran was so that we could dive on the reef,” Ms Kumsan said yesterday. “We have only been able to snorkel and have not been able to dive.” She said the three of them were due to fly out of Proserpine for Sydney yesterday and to Los Angeles today.
“But, now we are waiting to see when we can go. We are hoping we can fly out Thursday, but it is still fun. We are finding out about all of this,” she said with a laugh.
Whitsunday MP Jason Costigan warned people to stay safe on the roads and to avoid crossing flooded creeks in the wake of the cyclone.
“I was in Airlie Beach and it was like a ghost town. I’ve never seen anything like it. There was no one, not a soul in the streets,” he said.
Mr Costigan became an early victim of the cyclone himself yesterday. This hap-