Carmel Houlison, holidaying in Queensland, described the impact of the rain and wind at Airlie Beach as Cyclone Debbie hit the Queensland coast on Tuesday afternoon, March 28.

The holiday apartment is not on the beach front, however. The unit she is sharing with three others is a five minute’s drive from the water. 

The power has been out since 10.30pm on Monday, March 27. Carmel said the apartment management has been advising holidaymakers on the best preparations to make, including moving the balcony furniture inside. 

After a supply run yesterday, there was nothing to do, Carmel was told, but to bunker down and wait for the storm to pass. 

“We got what we could from the shops yesterday,” she said. 

Perishables were off the list with the power out. Airlie Beach residents were making preparations, taping up windows and securing what they could. 

“It’s obvious they have done this all before and they knew exactly what to do to ride it out,” Carmel said. 

“We’ve got torches and we can't go out. We have been sitting here since yesterday afternoon and there’s nothing we can do but wait.”

The weather was calm until 3pm on Tuesday, when the wind and rain arrived. 

"From 3pm it came in, the wind was horrendous,” Carmel said. 

Carmel was hoping to fly out of Queensland this coming Thursday but, with airports and roads closed until further notice, she said she would have to wait and see. 

She wanted to reassure everyone that, apart from having no way to recharge her mobile phone, she was faring well. 

“I’m safe – we’re safe – we are just waiting.”

Cyclone Debbie is now a category three storm as it moves slowly inland on the Queensland coast.

The Bureau of Meteorology has predicted sustained winds near the centre of 150km per hour with wind gusts up to 205km per hour.

Huge seas are expected along the coast tonight. 

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