The army has been called in to clean up Queensland's disaster zone after Cyclone Debbie smashed into the Whitsunday region, unleashing howling winds of 260 km/h.
At 3am on Wednesday morning the Bureau of Meteorology downgraded Debbie out of the cyclone category to a tropical low, bringing sustained winds of 55km/h with gusts of up to 85km/h. Heavy rains are still expected as it moves southwest, with a severe weather warning in place.
The storm downed trees, stripped buildings and left shorelines swamped after making landfall as a category four storm at midday near Airlie Beach and is expected to continue wreaking havoc for the rest of the week.
It was downgraded to a category three cyclone just after 3pm but strong winds continued to lash Airlie Beach, Proserpine and Bowen later in the afternoon.
Watch: Man hurt by collapsing wall, says Queensland police commissioner
'Shock and awe'
On Tuesday night Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk predicted "shock and awe" in the state when the full extent of the devastation wrought by the cyclone is revealed.
The premier, who on Monday warned it would be a "monster", said the state would be dealing with the impact of the "scary" cyclone for the next three to five days as it moved down the coast.
"I think there is going to be a lot of shock and awe in the morning," she told Ten News on Tuesday.
She said rapid assessment teams would be sent to observe the damage at first light on Wednesday, later revealing even she was "bracing" for Debbie's full impact being unveiled.
'Catastrophic storm'
The Insurance Council of Australia declared the storm a "catastrophe", with thousands of claims expected in coming weeks.
It came after a man, believed to be aged in his 60s, was badly injured when a wall collapsed on him in Proserpine.
He is now in a stable condition in Proserpine Hospital.
"We are going to get lots of reports of damage and sadly I think we will also receive more reports of injuries, if not deaths. We need to be prepared for that," Commissioner Ian Stewart said on Tuesday afternoon.
Watch: "This is a devastating cyclone" Palaszczuk
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the state would be dealing with the impact of the "scary" cyclone for the next three to five days as it moved down the coast.
"I think there is going to be a lot of shock and awe in the morning," she told Ten News.
Earlier, she urged those in the area to "stay indoors".
"Please do not go outside and please contact the ambulance or emergency services for assistance and where they can help you over the phone they will, so please stay inside," she said.
"All the agencies are doing everything they possibly can. But our emergency services personnel cannot go out on to the roads at the moment due to the dangerous conditions."
The Bureau of Meteorology issued several flood warnings for areas affected by the cyclone, including a major flood warning for the Pioneer River.
Malcolm Turnbull told parliament on Tuesday conditions in the region were "deteriorating rapidly" as destructive winds of up to 270km/h were being felt from the storm, which has been downgraded to category 3.
He later told ABC News the government had directed all its agencies to assist affected residents and was working closely with the Queensland state government.
Mr Turnbull said Treasurer Scott Morrison and Assistant Treasurer Josh Frydenberg had reached out to the insurance and banking sectors.
"The treasurer and assistant treasurer have been in touch with the insurance and banking sectors to ensure they understand the how important it is to the government and indeed to all Australians that the banks and insurance companies are seen to be very supportive and responsive, compassionate, considerate and supportive in making sure that claims are met, that businesses are supported," he said.
Mr Turnbull called on residents to stay safe, keep an eye out for their neighbours and to follow the directions of the emergency services and authorities.
The pace of the storm - which forecasters say is slower than the likes of Cyclone Yasi and Larry - means recovery efforts won't start in earnest until Wednesday morning.
State Recovery Co-ordinator Brigadier Chris Field, who co-ordinated clean-up efforts following Yasi in 2011, said the army would be well suited to deal with the aftermath of the disaster.
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"The engineering capabilities that the Australian Defence Force have are really designed to clear debris and get particularly roads open so that the community can go about their business," Brigadier Field told reporters in Townsville.
Mr Stewart urged anyone tempted to sightsee after Debbie's wrath to stay inside instead.
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Deputy Commissioner Mark Roche urged residents to watch out for severe flash flooding.
Debbie had been bearing down on the coast since early on Tuesday morning, moving as slow as 4 km/h at some stages.
Proserpine-based Whitsundays councillor John Collins said the initial winds sounded "like a jumbo jet is parked on my roof".
"I've been through a few cyclones that are quick and nasty but this one is going to go all day," he told AAP.
"This is going to be a terrible disaster when it is all over and done with."
There are serious concerns for the region's 2017 sugar cane crop which is estimated at $1.1 billion.
Watch: Malcolm Turnbull pledges support for Queensland residents
At Bowen, Whitsundays councillor Mike Brunker said "terrifying" winds were battering his home on a hill overlooking Rose Bay.
"It's hitting the southern end of my house and is just shaking the s*** out of it," he told AAP.
"My back fence is laying in the neighbour's yard. It got flogged both ways."
The storm earlier pounded the Whitsunday Islands, with gusts of 263 km/h recorded at Hamilton Island while the jetty at Daydream Island appeared to have washed away.
More than 48,000 homes were without power across the Bowen, Mackay and Whitsunday regions and more than 400 schools and childcare centres closed.
Forecasters are also warning people to remain vigilant about damaging deluges following the cyclone, with significant rain expected down the coast towards the state's southeast.
Medical, counselling and search and rescue teams have been deployed along with Army engineers ready to clear roads and other Navy personnel to clear debris from harbours.
"This is a very pressing task for the Australian Defence Force; we hope that the emergency is not as considerable as predicted," Defence Minister Marise Payne told the Senate.
Cyclone damage at the Flametree Tourist Village in Airlie Beach. (Brent Cameron) Source: Brent Cameron
WATCH: Cyclone Debbie at Airlie Beach
"I've been through a few cyclones that are quick and nasty but this one is going to go all day," he told AAP. "It's a long wait, sitting here waiting while it tears everything up.
"This is going to be a terrible disaster when it is all over and done with."
NITV News spoke to Bowen resident Paul Ryle Brown on Tuesday morning and he has since reported significantly worsening conditions in the town with damaged trees and buildings in the area.
"It wasn't long after we spoke last that the electricity went out and it's just been absolutely hammering now, the wind from then til now has just been hammering," he said.
"The awning out the front, it got peeled off, a couple of trees out the front on the public land have been blown over and yeah the roof is flapping around. There's a bit of water coming in and nothing drastic at this stage anyway.
"They were saying it was coming over late this afternoon on the news and that but we're just in the best of it now, it's just been absolutely hammering."
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Watch: SBS Correspondent reports from Airlie Beach as Cyclone Debbie approaches
Additional reporting by Madeline Hayman-Reber
