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'Scared stiff': Evacuations begin as locals and tourists prepare for Cyclone Debbie

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Authorities have began evacuations in coastal areas of the Whitsunday region as tropical cyclone Debbie continues to intensify on Sunday afternoon. 

The Whitsunday Regional Council listed several low-lying areas for immediate evacuation on Sunday with a "significant" storm tide forecast across the region.

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Whitsunday mayor Andrew Willcox has urged residents to take shelter as the storm surges towards the coast of north Queensland. 

"If you are unable to evacuate, the Cyclone Shelters in Bowen and Proserpine will be opened on Monday as a last resort," he said. 

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"The cyclone shelters have capacity for 800 people each and are only available to those people at highest risk from cyclone effects that have no other option."

While the cyclone is not expected to make landfall around Ayr, less than 200 kilometres north of Airlie Beach, until Tuesday morning, authorities are taking no chances. 

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1000 emergency services personnel have been pre-deployed or placed on standby, while the Defence Force is on hand to help disaster crews. 

The Blood Service has formed a regional incident management committee to ensure ongoing availability of blood products.

Meanwhile, North Queensland's emergency services continued to pool resources on Sunday afternoon, adding more manpower to the region's emergency arsenal. 

An extra 25 paramedics and 100 police officers have been identified for deployment to the far north or Townsville districts.

Weatherzone: Queensland radar

The Bureau of Meteorology expects the "very destructive core" of Debbie to cross the coast between Townsville and Proserpine as a category 4 early on Tuesday morning.

Winds of up to 260km/h are expected, along with a potential storm surge which could flood areas across the region.

Backpackers brace for Cyclone Debbie

Understandably, Airlie Beach tourists and localsare feeling anxious about the cyclone brewing off the north Queensland coast. 

Some residents, like shop owner Maja Zwolsman are making the most of the 20,000 sandbags that have been made available by the Townsville City Council. 

"Shop is sandbagged. Home is prepared. Now we wait," Ms Zwolsman wrote on Twitter late on Sunday afternoon, adding that "we use whatever is handy for sandbagging." 

But backpackers, it seems, don't have the same worry, with a number even trying to head north to Townsville ahead of the storm. 

Gemma and Matt Dungey who work at the Big Four Caravan Park said they had been through a category 2 cyclone before, but Tropical Cyclone Debbie is expected to intensify to a category 4 before crossing the coast on Tuesday.

"We had to warn all the guests about it, I did get home feeling a bit anxious," Ms Dungey said. 

Geoffrey and Agnes Lawler were in Airlie Beach on holiday from Wollongong, visiting their son, and said they were worried about the coming cyclone. 

"I'm scared stiff," Ms Lawler said. 

But backpackers seem to be less worried. 

A staff member at a backpackers who declined to be named said about 15 planned to head north despite the weather warnings. 

"The backpackers don't believe it," she said. 

"I just told them to take water, money, food."

Staff have been warning backpackers to withdraw money while they can and bunker down in their rooms if the cyclone crosses at Airlie Beach. 

"We want everyone to stay safe," she said. 

She said everything was shut until Wednesday at least and tours were cancelled. 

While some tourists are hoping to ride out the storm or even continue their travels across the region, Tom and Laura Britton are planning to cut their losses and take flight before the storm hits. 

The Canadian couple had been on a bare boat, booked for a week of cruising around the Whitsundays but were called back to the marina on Saturday. With their flight from Proserpine cancelled on Sunday morning, the pair are now hoping to drive to Brisbane to fly on to Melbourne from there. 

"It's been an interesting turn of events," Mr Birtton said. 

"We enjoyed being on the boat so it's a little disappointing, but we have a couple of days credit so we'll come back," Ms Britton said.

Mr Britton agreed, and said they would happily come back to North Queensland. 

"Were not at all put off."

Flights grounded

Meanwhile, flights to north east Queensland have been grounded in anticipation of the storm's arrival. 

Jetstar, Virgin and Qantas have cancelled flights to and from Townsville airport for Monday and Tuesday.

The airlines have also cancelled some flights into and out of Mackay airport.

All flights to Hamilton Island are cancelled for Monday.

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