Besides knocking down weather bureau's radar, the category 4 storm brought with it 211 mm (8 inches) of rain in an hour
Cyclone Debbie, the most powerful storm since Cyclone Yasi in 2011, hit Australia's east coast between north Queensland’s towns of Bowen and Airlie Beach today morning at around 5 am local time.
#CycloneDebbie making landfall as seen on #Bowen and #Mackay radars. Cyclone eye visible crossing near #AirlieBeach. pic.twitter.com/Oec5APvc75
— BOM Queensland (@BOM_Qld) March 28, 2017
Flood threat
According to local media reports, cyclone Debbie's landfall coincides with a 12-foot tide in Bowen, one of the highest tides of the year. This could make floods even worse. According to John D Ginger, a research director at James Cook University, houses in low-lying coastal regions, which have experienced storm surge, will be vulnerable to significant damage. More than 1,000 emergency service workers had been pressed into service.
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