Cyclone Debbie: Anger brews as stranded Whitsundays tourists say they are being ripped off

ALMOST 300 homes have been destroyed across northern and central Queensland after ex-Cyclone Debbie wrought a path of destruction when it crossed the Whitsunday coastline.

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ALMOST 300 homes have been destroyed across northern and central Queensland after ex-Cyclone Debbie wrought a path of destruction when it crossed the Whitsunday coastline.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said so far 270 homes were no longer deemed inhabitable after crews completed 2000 damage assessments.

The number of destroyed buildings was drawing closer to the 350 homes that were razed when Cyclone Marcia ravaged parts of the Capricorn Coast in 2015.

“As you can see, a lot of work is happening,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

After the ex-cyclone moved over the south east region last night, 90,000 buildings remained without power despite another 80,000 customers already having power restored. About 630 powerlines were affected in the deluge.

Meanwhile, in the Bowen, Mackay and Whitsunday regions, there were still about 50,000 buildings without electricity.

“But 15,000 homes have been restored since the cyclone has hit up in regional Queensland,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

Ms Palaszczuk said the army was doing all it could to address ongoing concerns about drinking water up north – particularly to the Whitsunday Islands.

“We have HMAS Melville helping with the water with the islands at the moment,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

She said there was no need to do any planned releases from SEQ Water dams. Wivenhoe reached 73 per cent.

DON’T DRINK THE WATER

INCREASINGLY angry tourists have been urged not to drink the water in the Whitsundays, as Cyclone Debbie’s aftermath causes flooding and evacuations and shuts down schools across two states.

Whitsunday Regional Council — which covers the cyclone-ravaged areas of Airlie Beach, Bowen, Proserpine, Hamilton Island and Daydream Island in Queensland — has urged residents “DO NOT drink water from tap” in an emergency alert overnight.

“In the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Debbie, Whitsunday Regional Council advises all residents that when water is restored to their area it may be discoloured and contain bacteria levels above normal standards,” the council wrote on its disaster and emergency Facebook page.

Residents who had no other option but to use the contaminated water were urged to boil it for three minutes first.

Meanwhile, long lines of desperate tourists have formed on Hamilton and Hayman islands as people try to score a place on airlines flying out of the battered resorts.

Brisbane woman Mercedes Haynes told the Townsville Bulletin that she had spent 48 surviving on baked beans and bread after the unit block she was staying in on Hamilton Island lost part of its roof in 270km/h winds.

“The booking agents have been disgusting, demanding we still pay for our ruined accommodation and resort management has only just had staff come and check on us at 2am (yesterday),” she said.

“We’ve had no one tell us about food or water, we only know the store is selling stuff which we cannot buy as they’re only accepting cash payment but there’s no way to get money out.”

A large tree blocks a footpath in Airlie Beach, where stranded tourists are becoming angry. Picture: AAP

Hamilton Island is a wreck after Cyclone Debbie. Picture: Dennis Garrett

Originally published as Cyclone Debbie: Anger brews as stranded Whitsundays tourists say they are being ripped off