Families have taken to building makeshift bunkers in their homes as they shelter from Cyclone Debbie.
The "destructive" Category 4 storm struck the north coast of Queensland this afternoon, slamming into the coast with huge 275km/h winds, according to the Daily Mail.
Those who chose not top evacuatewere ordered to stay indoors, but even then some felt unsafe - with residents saying their homes shook and rattled as Debbie made rolled through coastal towns.
Mother Kiara Buckby, from Airlie Beach, made a bunker in her bathroom for her and her family, filling it with pillows, duvets and cuddly toys.
"The coziest little camp out. Safe room all ready, just in case," she wrote on Instagram.
"This one time we were on our honeymoon and Ham built me a bunker. Going to need a whole bottle of champas once this is all over," she wrote.
The happy couple seemed in remarkably good spirits, especially considering that their resort on the exclusive island was hit by the 'monster' storm early on Tuesday morning.
Holly, from Airlie Beach, had a canine companion to take refuge with on Tuesday afternoon.
She laid down pillows, duvets and bedsheets in her hallway as the storm threatened to damage her home.
"Our doors feel like they're going to blow off," she told friends.
Cyclone Debbie struck the north coast of Queensland on this afternoon, bringing devastating gale-force winds with gusts of 275km/h, record-breaking rainfall and surging tides threatening widespread floods.
After battering the typically idyllic Whitsunday Islands for five straight hours, the eye of the Category Four storm slowly closed in on Australia's east coast before making landfall between Bowen and Airlie Beach just after midday.
Mother Kiara Buckby, from Airlie Beach, was almost directly in the firing line of the storm and built this bunker in her bathroom. Photo/kmbuckby/Instagram
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk described the cyclone as a "one in a hundred year event", warning residents across the 1,000-odd kilometre stretch of picturesque coastline to bunker down and wait for the dangerous storm to pass.
"What we have seen is rainfall in excess of 210 millimetres that has fallen within the past hour. This is equivalent to a one in a hundred year event... we are seeing unprecedented levels of rainfall in that area," Ms Palaszczuk said.
"This is going to be a very frightening day for a lot of families in regional Queensland."
The storm is expected to track in a southwesterly direction and weaken to a Category 3 by 6pm, with emergency help unlikely to be available until Wednesday morning when affected regions are freed from lockdown.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the conditions in the region were "deteriorating rapidly", with 34,000 homes left without power.
"The federal and Queensland governments have prepared well for the onset of this cyclone. We have activated the disaster response plan," Mr Turnbull said.
Mr Turnbull told parliament the Australian Defence Force had set up a joint task force and was ready to deploy assets to the affected areas.
ADF personnel on Monday helped SES and police doorknock in Bowen, Proserpine and Airlie Beach.
HMAS Choules is on the way to provide emergency assistance.
