Cyclone Debbie creates storm surge warning

As Cyclone Debbie bears down on the Whitsundays before making landfall around Bowen as a Category 4, residents are fearing the forecast storm surge tonight that is potentially even more dangerous than the destructive winds of 200km/h plus.

The Whitsundays is especially prone to the tidal surge that can see water levels rise 1.5m and more above the king high tide mark. The king high is forecast at 10.25pm tonight (March 27) and again at 10.40am tomorrow (March 28).

Abnormally high tides are expected to occur along the coast between Proserpine and Mackay on the high tides today. The tides are worse at the southern end of the cyclone where the winds are onshore.

But residents between Cape Ferguson just south of Townsville all the way south to Mackay are specifically warned of the dangerous storm tide as the cyclone crosses the coast on Tuesday (March 28) morning.

WAVES WITH TIDES
The Bureau of Meteorology says the sea is likely to rise steadily up to a level well above the normal tide, with damaging waves and flooding of some low-lying areas close to the shoreline as the cyclone approaches the coast on Tuesday.

Large waves containing trees, building material and debris may also develop along the beachfront, bays and rivers. People living in areas likely to be affected by this flooding should take measures to protect their property as much as possible and be prepared to follow instructions regarding evacuation of the area if advised to do so by the authorities.

All the outlying islands of the Whitsundays have been evacuated, but so too the low-lying waterfront including the marinas at Airlie Beach and Shute Harbour. This waterfront falls into the high-risk red zone, as does much of Bowen. The zoning and evacuation zone maps are also relevant in the unlikely event of a tsunami.

YASI LESSONS
If you need to be reminded of the damage that a severe cyclone can wreak on the boating community then cast your mind back to Cyclone Yasi in 2011 in Port Hinchinbrook.

At least 13 boats were completely destroyed,126 claims were reported, including for 60 boats in Port Hinchinbrook Marina alone. Club Marine said it would pay a total of $6.5 million to members affected by the storm.

Phil Johnson from the recovery team said he was dealing with a scale of destruction few had seen before.

"It was easily the biggest single disaster I’ve encountered in terms of total boats destroyed and damaged," he said.

"The sheer scale of the damage and the huge pile of boats washed up on top of each other was something I’ve never seen before."

The cyclone shelters are now open from Proserpine to Bowen. Stay safe.

More at Whitsundays government page.

Cyclone Debbie updates at www.bom.gov.au/cyclone
Read what you need to know to prepare your boat for the cyclone season (it's a bit late now for this and Cyclone Debbie).

PREVIOUS WHITSUNDAYS CYCLONES
>> Cyclone Ului crossed the coast near Airlie Beach in March 2010 as a Category 3 cyclone causing major damage to the Whitsunday Region.
>> Cyclone Anthony crossed the coast near Bowen in January 2011 as a Category 2 cyclone causing minor damage and localised flooding.
>> Cyclone Dylan crossed the coast near Hydeaway Bay on 31 January 2014 as a Category 2 cyclone causing record storm tide heights since monitoring stations were installed during the late 1970’s.
>> Cyclone Hadi was forecast to cross the coast between Bowen and Airlie Beach on 10 March, 2014 as a Category 1 cyclone. The system came within 300kms of Hamilton Island then changed path and headed back out to sea.
>> Cyclone Ita crossed the coast in far north Queensland but maintained Category 1 cyclone intensity as it crossed through Bowen and Airlie Beach on 13 April 2014. Cyclone Ita had widespread rainfall of between 100mm and 200mm within a few hours that led to moderate flood levels of the Don River. The Proserpine River also peaked at 5.01m which is a new record.