A dead shark found in Ayr, Queensland, Australia after Cyclone Debbie made landfall this week (Queensland Fire and Emergency Services Twitter) 
 
 The Australian state of Queensland was hit hard this week by a vicious tropical cyclone. And while there has been property damage, thankfully no one was seriously injured by Cyclone Debbie. Well, no one, unless you count this 5-foot long shark that was found dead this morning near the floodwaters. 
 
 
 
 The bull shark was found in a puddle in the town of Ayr, just north of where Cylcone Debbie made landfall. Queensland Fire and Emergency Services shared photos of the poor shark on Twitter, warning people to stay out of the flood waters that are currently swamping the area. 
 
 Advertisement 
 
 But nobody seems to want to call this what it is: a real life sharknado. The sharknado is, of course, when a cyclone that has become infested with sharks exacts destruction on a populated area. The rare phenomenon gained public attention after the 2013 documentary Sharknado. 
 
 Heavy rains are continuing in the region and emergency crews are still performing rescue operations for people trapped in the flooding. The hardest hit areas of Queensland have seen over 15 inches of rain and roughly 50,000 homes have been without power. As many as 400 schools will remain closed tomorrow. 
 
 Advertisement 
 
 Sharks and schools aside, Australians were perhaps most devastated when they learned that the chaos of Cyclone Debbie had caused the beloved XXXX Brewery to catch fire on Tuesday. But Australians have been told not to worry—the fire won’t affect the beer supply. 
 
 Which is good. Because after the flood water recedes everyone is going to need a drink to tell the story of where they were when a sharknado hit Australia. Because it did. This was a sharknado. Don’t question science. 
 
 [7 News Australia] ||||| Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Lifeguard Scott McCartney: "People are scared at how close to shore the attack took place" 
 
 A 50-year-old British man has been killed in a shark attack off a beach in Byron Bay, the most easterly point on the Australian mainland, officials say. 
 
 Paul Wilcox, originally from Warwickshire, sustained severe injuries on his right leg at the popular tourist destination in New South Wales. 
 
 A swimmer brought him in to the beach but he was pronounced dead. 
 
 Beaches in the area have been closed for 24 hours and people have been warned to stay out of the water. 
 
 Mr Wilcox, a British information technology specialist, had been living in Australia for more than 10 years. 
 
 "At 10:45 police and paramedics were called to Main Beach after reports of a shark attack," New South Wales police said in their initial statement. 
 
 "He was in the water when he was bitten. He was seen floating in shallow water, close to the shore line, and dragged onto the beach. An ambulance was called and he was pronounced dead a short time later," the statement said. 
 
 Police said Mr Wilcox's wife was watching from the shore, ABC reported. 
 
 Image copyright Westpac Life Saver Rescue Image caption Eyewitnesses said they spotted a "six or seven foot" shark in the water 
 
 Witness Mark Hickey said he tried to help. 
 
 "I saw what looked like seaweed but it was blood in the water," he said. "I didn't know it was a person but when I realised, I ran out and waded to the bank and grabbed him and did CPR but it was too late." 
 
 He told local media he saw a "six or seven foot" shark in the water. 
 
 Rescue organisation Surf Lifesaving Australia said the beach was not supervised at the time of the attack as it had occurred a week before seasonal duties. 
 
 "At the council's request, lifeguards will be on duty for at least the next 24 hours ensuring the water remains clear," it said in a statement. 
 
 Shark attacks in Australia 
 
 New South Wales sees more attacks than any other state, followed by Queensland and Western Australia 
 
 The Northern Territory and Tasmania see the fewest attacks 
 
 Attacks in 2014: Woman killed at Tathra Beach, NSW (Apr), Man killed off Goldsmith Beach, SA (Feb) 
 
 Attacks in 2013: Man killed at Campbell's Beach, NSW (Nov); Man killed in Gracetown, WA (Nov) 
 
 Sept 2011-Jul 2012: Five people killed off Western Australia's beaches 
 
 Sources: Tarong.org.au, Australian media reports 
 
 Image copyright EPA Image caption Australian police said investigations into the shark attack were still ongoing 
 
 There have been several shark attacks off Australia's beaches in recent years. 
 
 In April, a woman was killed as she swam off Tathra beach, also in New South Wales. 
 
 The Western Australia government, meanwhile, has ordered a cull of sharks, following at least six fatal attacks off the state's beaches in three years. 
 
 Baited hooks have been installed off Perth's popular beaches. Any shark more than three metres long - which could include Great White, Tiger and Bull sharks - will be shot. 
 
 The controversial move prompted thousands of people to take part in protests against the culls.
– Emergency crews traipsing through the Australian town of Ayr after Cyclone Debbie made landfall came across a rather odd sight Thursday: a shark roadblock. The 5-foot-long bull shark, surrounded by little more than a puddle, had washed up on a road and died, reports the West Australian. And it wasn't the only high-profile animal to succumb to the storm, which Gizmodo is now calling "a real life sharknado." A battered cockatoo that became famous around Australia after a photographer rescued it from a tree on Tuesday has also died, though it initially showed signs of improvement, reports the BBC.