The new Cyclone Debbie has been declared a catastrophe after smashing into the Queensland coast, with wind gusts of up to 270 km/hour. The Australian Insurance Council has rated the category 4 cyclone "a catastrophe".

According to ABC News, the cyclone Debbie has sustained winds near the center of 155 kilometers per hour with wind gusts to 220 kilometers per hour. The police service commissioner reported that the man had been seriously injured in Proserpine.

The total cost of cyclone Debbie is likely to be greater than that of Cyclone Yasi which hit North Queensland in February 2011. The Yasi caused insurance losses of $1.4 billion after it hit less populated areas further north than Debbie.

Around 50,000 homes are without power, as a result of cyclone Debbie Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart reported the news. The police commissioner warned the public to brace for further reports of injury and death.

More than 30,000 people were being urged to leave their homes along a vast stretch of the coastline between Bowen and Rockhampton. This is triggering fears of traffic chaos as the storm Cyclone Debbie makes its expected landfall about 10 am.

The Australian News has stated that a man has been seriously injured after a wall collapsed on him in Proserpine as cyclone Debbie struck the north Queensland coast. The government has also warned more injuries, and possibly fatalities would follow as communications returned in the wake of the storm.

After the outrage of Cyclone Debbie generators have been powered on in the face of power outages in the Whitsunday region. The wind and rain are in Bowen region have been described as deafening, and lights have been flickering throughout the early morning.

However, the local report has stated that the flood warning has been issued after Cyclone Debbie for the Proserpine River. The flood warning is current for Bowen's Don River, and a minor to moderate flood levels are possible on the Pioneer River in Mackay.

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