"I haven't got down the marina front yet and I have to go check my uncle's house next door once the winds go down a bit."
9news.com.au reports that a British expat riding out a holiday from hell on Hamilton Island has told how her room's 17th floor balcony doors shattered at 2am last night, letting in wind gusts of more than 200km/hour.
The Melbourne PR account manager Sarah flew into Hamilton Island on Saturday with her parents who are visiting from the UK, a day before all flights were cancelled to and from the island.
Sarah told 9news.com.au she and her family were largely unaware Cyclone Debbie was looming off the coast and it was too late to leave when they found out.
As Cyclone Debbie began whipping up a frenzy last night, Sarah said she heard the balcony's concertina doors suddenly explode about 2am.
"The windows blew open and then shattered. There was glass and paint everywhere and we were all huddling in my parent's room," Sarah said.
"The doors were banging and one came off the hinges and the curtains came off the rails.
"We were getting these 200km winds coming through the middle of the apartment. It was scary."
