Cyclone Debbie: What to do in the storm's aftermath
Cyclone Debbie has come and gone, and residents will soon be heading outside to assess the damage.
Here's what you should (and shouldn't do) in the wake of Cyclone Debbie.
Key points:
- Don't go out in the eye of the storm
- Wait until authorities give the all-clear before heading outside
- Once the danger has passed, be very aware of your immediate surroundings
- Be careful of fallen powerlines, assume they are active
- Be wary of trees that may be in danger of falling over
- If a road is flooded, forget it
- If you need SES assistance call 132 500 or lodge a request online at ses.qld.gov.au
- If you are in a life-threatening situation call triple-0
When it suddenly seems calm, don't go outside
The Bureau of Meteorology's Adam Morgan told ABC News 24 going outside when it seems calm is one of the worst things you can do.
"If you are underneath the eye, you will experience a period of low winds and perhaps even calm winds," he said.
"This is actually a very dangerous period. We are (asking) residents to avoid the urge to go outside.
"Stay in shelter during this period because the duration of the eye passing over you is unknown.
"Once the eye passes over the winds increase rapidly from the opposite direction again. It is an extremely dangerous time. Stay in shelter."
Stay indoors until you get the all clear from authorities
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Deputy Commissioner Mark Roche said people should stay indoors until the winds drop to 80 kilometres per hour.
It won't be safe to venture outside until a number of hours after the cyclone has passed.
You can monitor updates on ABC's Emergency radio on 101.1 FM (Mackay), 89.9 FM (Airlie Beach) or 630AM (Townsville) and/or keep an eye on updates on our live blog or from the Bureau of Meteorology.
You can also check out the ABC's cyclone emergency page for more tips.
Once it's safe, assess the damage
You should have already disconnected all electrical appliances and turned off the gas and power.
But once it's safe, the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) urges residents to check for any gas leaks.
Don't use any electrical appliances if wet and don't carry out any work on your property that may cause injury to yourself or others.
The SES will be there to help after the main event
If you need assistance you can call the Queensland State Emergency Services on 132 500, lodge a request online or on the SES app.
Mr Roche told ABC News 24 there were crews in Ayr, Proserpine, Bowen and Airlie Beach ready to respond.
"No doubt we will be providing our resources where we need them," he said.
"In some cases it will be for swift water and floodwater rescue. Our main focus will be on the safety of the individuals and the community. That is where our priority will be.
"We will be out there providing support, whether that is reroofing or tarping or sandbagging or assisting the community in whatever way it needs assistance."
Brigadier Chris Field says the Defence Force was also poised to help.
"We have engineering assets, we have humanitarian assistance and disaster relief assets that are being pre-positioned as well as work forces that might be able to assist people in need from north Queensland," he said.
And remember if you're in a life-threatening emergency always call triple-0.
If it's flooded, forget it
Some parts of the Bruce Highway are expected to be cut off, as are many roads in low-lying areas prone to flooding.
"We expect that there will be significant flooding," Mr Roche said.
"We are hoping that people are not out on the roads at the moment, but if the roads are flooded, as we say, if it is flooded forget it.
"Stay away, stay safe. There is in need to put yourself or your family or friends at risk."
Also steer clear of trees, bridges and structures which could have hidden damage from the storm event.
You can visit the Queensland Traffic website for road closures.
If possible and safe, check on neighbours
If you can, check on neighbours and see if they need assistance with shelter, food or first aid.
You can also check yourself in as safe after the event through the Facebook Safety Check or through the Red Cross.
Also, don't make unnecessary phone calls which could overload the system.
ABC reader Nick Frampton told the ABC while most of the work was put in before a cyclone arrived, it was important to check on your mates.
"I've lived through a few cyclones before Debbie, Ului in 2010, the aftermath of Cyclone Oswald in 2013 and Cyclone Dylan in 2014," he said.
"Ului was particularly destructive with a large, thick tree branch having flown into the backyard and nearly striking the house, but luckily school wasn't opening up in a hurry so there was plenty of time to clean up.
"Once the storm passes we'll be getting the leaf blower out and gathering up all the leaves, because at this point there won't be much to do outside with everything having been taken care of days beforehand.
"I live in Mount Pleasant which is one of the few high-lying suburbs of Mackay, so flooding due to any tidal surges won't be a problem; flash flooding is more of a concern at this point.
"Even though I'm a local, I'm not aware of any particular rituals ... that's done in the aftermath of natural disasters such as this but rather the Aussie spirit that's displayed by helping your neighbours and the community clean up."
Contact your insurer
The Insurance Council of Australia has declared Cyclone Debbie a catastrophe.
Campbell Fuller from the council told ABC News 24 insurers were in place to deal with claims in the region.
"The Insurance Council of Australia and most big insurers (have) already deployed teams into the affected area," he said.
"Most of them are using Townsville as a staging point.
"When it's safe to move in, they'll be hard on the heels of emergency services to provide assistance to policy holders.
"The insurance industry, like most of North Queensland, has been through many cyclones and the practices they have in place are effective."
He said northern Queenslanders were also more likely to be insured than the general population.
"They're more likely to have a higher sum insured, so they insured for a greater value and they're more likely to have a higher excess when they make a claim and that helps drive down their premiums.
"By and large, north Queensland is accustomed to these cyclones and they now how to prepare for them financially as well as physically."
He said the biggest issue it would have would be older housing that was more likely to see extensive property damage.
You can also call the ICA disaster hotline on 1800 734 621.