CYCLONE DEBBIE - WE ARE READY AND WAITING FOR YOU !

That's about all we can do at the moment. Is wait. Wait, watch and prepare as Cyclone Debbie intensifies and bares down on North Queensland.

It's kind of weird feeling. The uncertainty of exactly where she will hit and the amount of destruction she will leave behind her nobody really knows. All we do know is that the next 24 hours are going to be wild. So hang on tight everyone, there is no slowing her down.
Currently Debbie is sitting at a cat 3. With predictions that she will hit the coast at a cat 4. The core is  at least 100 km wide with wind gusts reaching up to 280 km per hour. It's quite extraordinary, such an incredible force to be faced with.

We here at Mackay are preparing for the worst.
More than 25,000 people here have been evacuated this afternoon with many more leaving on their own accord. And while we live outside of the "flood zone areas" we still need to be ready for the mighty storm that is on its way. Earlier today the winds were already strong enough to bring down trees, and the normal buzz in the city was ever so quiet.

Image source ABC News Mackay

We are as ready as we can be. Anything that was sitting loose in our yard has been removed. The cupboards are full, the BBQ has gas and the cars are filled with fuel.

I hope that no one is being complacent and that everyone is taking all the warnings seriously. Mackay's Mayor is urging the community to stick together. To check on our neighbours and those who are alone, and even though we as a community have been here before, it is now up to us to make sure that we get through this severe weather event that is just about on our doorstep together as a whole.

Emergency services are ready. There has been plenty of warning of what is yet to come.
Stay safe North Queensland. May we all stand together and come out the other side without too much loss.

beck xx