Battening down hatches just in case
PALM Island residents have battened down the hatches as gales and heavy rain are expected to lash the indigenous community.
Conditions were calm yesterday afternoon, with the community making its final preparations for the unknown, as Cyclone Debbie kept the region guessing.
Mayor Alf Lacey said most of the residents had heeded warnings and had prepared their homes, along with the island closing down flights and ferries across for the time being.
“Regardless of where it is tracking I think there is still going to be some effects here. It is close to home and our local disaster management group is keeping an eye on it,” Cr Lacey said.
“In any event, we have been taking the normal procedures that need to happen and it is good to see the whole community has come on board doing what they need to do to stay safe.
“I think as time goes on we will get a better idea of what is going on. It will either settle down or there will be some movement. It’s just a matter of watching and waiting. As a precaution we have cancelled all boats and planes to Palm and we are just waiting to see where it all goes.” COURTS across the regions will be shut today with the arrival of Cyclone Debbie. Townsville, Ayr and Charters Towers courts shut yesterday afternoon and should, at this stage, be reopened tomorrow. A spokesman from the Department of Justice and Attorney- General said the closures were to ensure the safety of all community members. “The safety of staff and community members is a priority for the department and the closures are expected to create only minor disruptions,” the spokesman said. “Court staff in each of the courthouses have been fully briefed about the situation since last Thursday, and all necessary preparations and precautions put in place. It is expected that operations will resume on Wednesday at all centres at this point in time, but further updates will be provided when the impacts of the cyclone are known.” EMERGENCY crews across Townsville are on high alert this morning and locals have been urged to stay inside as Tropical Cyclone Debbie makes its way into the region.
Schools have been closed again today and businesses have sent employees home to prepare for gale- force winds from as early as 8am.
Mayor Jenny Hill urged residents not to be complacent despite forecasts the centre of the system would hit further south than first predicting.
“The Bureau of Meteorology is still saying we could get destructive winds ( this) morning, so we can only deal with the information we have in front of us,” she said. “Gusts of wind up to 70km/ h are due at about 8am, so we need people to be mindful that if that does occur they need to stay indoors.
“We still need the community to play it safe, just to be a little cautious and don’t take things for granted. By the end of the day, once it crosses and we get the all clear, we should know once and for all what we’re working with and get on to the clean- up.”
Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Sam Campbell last night said while Cyclone Debbie’s focus had shifted south, the storm was unpredictable.
“The threat of significant rainfall looks to have eased around the Townsville area … but we could still see some moderate falls,” he said.
“If the system wants to take a more westerly track there will be a high chance of those gales developing.”
Cr Hill said Townsville City Council was now offering support to local governments in the firing line of the cyclone.
“The shelters are open at the moment we are using them to accommodate people from council areas south of here,” she said yesterday.
“There are a lot of people in the shelters and they will remain overnight until we can assess how long we need to accommodate them for.”
Cr Hill said residents should be wary of flooding, but Townsville was unlikely to receive the strong storm surges expected in Mackay.
“At the moment there ap-