A powerful cyclone packing winds of up to 260 kilometres (160 miles) per hour roared across Australia's tropical northeast, uprooting trees, tearing down fences and knocking out power to thousands, officials said.
Cyclone Debbie was like "bloody mayhem". That is the way one Hamilton Island holiday-maker is describing it.
Mat Garner said: "The roar was so loud, wind was phenomenal, all the windows rattled and shook violently!"
The Whitsunday Times reports that he and his family are currently still on lockdown intheir holiday house in the north eastern corner of the island. It is still raining and windy but Garner said the direction of the wind has changed now and from where they are there is "heaps of damage".
"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.
