Australia's east coast is currently being battered by Cyclone Debbie. And with record floods expected, tens of thousands of people have been evacuated as authorities brace for damages of hundreds of millions of dollars in the coming days.The Insurance Council of Australia has already declared both the Queensland and northern New South Wales regions as disaster zones, with estimated damages of up to Aus$1 billion ($762 million).Almost 100,000 homes have been left without power and evacuees are unsure of what to expect once the storm finally passes late next week. Many are predicting that Debbie will be the worst tropical storm to hit the area in a century.The disaster zone stretches 1,000 km (600 miles) from Queensland's Gold Coast tourist strip to the farmlands of New South Wales state, and mass evacuations have already taken place though many have been left stranded due to severe floods and high winds."By Wednesday, we will be at peak flooding in Rockhampton [Queensland]," Police Commissioner Ian Stewart said, as cited by AFP. "It will be a gradual rise, so I encourage people to move now."While rescue efforts are ongoing, weather conditions have hampered emergency services as the tropical cyclone rages on.Category four Cyclone Debbie hit northeastern Australia on Tuesday, with sustained winds of up to 158 - 198 km/h (99 - 130 mph) and extremely powerful and destructive gusts reaching speeds of up to 226 - 280 km/h according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology</s>SYDNEY: A third body has been found in the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie and accompanying floods that swamped Australia’s east coast, as receding waters start revealing the human and economic cost of the storm.

The disaster zone stretched 1,000 km (600 miles) from Queensland state's tropical resort islands and Gold Coast tourist strip to the farmlands of New South Wales state.

The body of 77-year-old Nelson Raebel was found in floodwaters in the state of Queensland on Saturday afternoon, Queensland Police said, bringing the national death toll to three since the cyclone hit on Tuesday.

Authorities are still searching for another three people that remain missing in flood-hit areas of Queensland.

Evacuation orders are still in place for a number townships in northern New South Wales, but authorities said on Sunday the flood threat was receding.

“There are still a number of communities subject to evacuation orders and in some instance people have remained in their properties and that’s causing us the biggest challenge at the moment,” Mark Morrow of the NSW State Emergency Service told Channel 9.

Several large rivers that had reached major flood levels were falling, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said on Sunday. But the city of Rockhampton in Queensland state is bracing for record-level flooding next week.

Cyclone Debbie, a category four storm, one short of the most powerful level five, pounded Queensland state on Tuesday, smashing tourist resorts, bringing down power lines and shutting down coal mines.

Australia’s Defence Force was deployed to help deliver medical personnel and supplies to communities in the north of the state.

Debbie will hit Australia's AUS$1.7 trillion (1.03 trillion pounds) economy, with economists estimating it will slow growth to under 2 percent in the first quarter.

Photos taken by emergency services in the town of Lismore, in New South Wales, show businesses in the town centre inundated with brown water.

The Insurance Council of Australia has declared the event a catastrophe.</s>A flooded street in the northern New South Wales town of Lismore.

BRISBANE Rising floods plagued large parts of eastern Australia yesterday as emergency workers battled to restore water and electricity in cyclone-hit areas, with the recovery efforts expected to last several months.

At least three people were dead and several missing after torrential rain inundated large areas of Queensland and New South Wales states, flooding homes and forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people.

Category four Cyclone Debbie smashed into Queensland on Tuesday between Bowen and Airlie, ripping up trees and causing widespread damage that is still being assessed.

Even as skies began to clear, numerous towns were still on flood alert and some regions remain under water.

Logan, just south of Brisbane, reflected the varied situation, with rising floods affecting some areas while other parts swung into clean-up mode as waters receded.

"This is unprecedented for us," Logan city mayor Luke Smith said yesterday, warning that his city was still "in flux" with one key river remaining at high levels. "The sky is the limit at this stage about what that means," he added about the potential damage bill.

In Rockhampton in central-east Queensland, residents were bracing themselves for the biggest floods they have experienced since 1954.

"Debbie is not done with us yet," Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said, when visiting Rockhampton on Saturday. "This one is going to be a big one," she added yesterday.

The Insurance Council of Australia has declared Queensland and northern New South Wales disaster zones, estimating the damage bill could reach A$1 billion (S$1.06 billion).</s>Major floods have hit the New South Wales far north coast, with tens of thousands of people evacuating Murwillumbah and Lismore, the main areas hit.

Photos have revealed the devastation as waters continue to rise in the wake of ex-cyclone Debbie, with flooding also wreaking havoc further north in Queensland.</s>JUSTIN Roser couldn’t save his dad, but he knows he would be proud of him.

Matthew Roser, 46, the man he calls his hero and his best friend, died of a heart attack around 2am Friday morning as floodwaters gushed into their South Murwillumbah home.

Mr Roser, a father of three, was trying to keep the family safe as a door downstairs was forced open by the power of the water.

In the home at the time were Justin, his sister Jade, 21 and her boyfriend Ryleigh Bennet.

“Dad told Jade that he was having a panic attack, so Jade gave him half a Valium to calm him down, and a drink of water then after about 10 minutes he had the other half.

“That’s when he said to Jade that he didn’t feel good, and went to the toilet to be sick, and after he did that, he stood up and passed out,” Justin told the Daily Telegraph.

“My sister and her boyfriend thought he was asleep because he was snoring for a little while, but then he apparently stopped breathing, that’s when Jade woke me up, and I came out, checked his pulse and breathing, saw he had none,” Justin said.

Mr Bennet, 29, began CPR while Justin called the SES and ambulance for help, but flood waters held the rescue up for 20 minutes.

“They tried to get there as fast as they could, but the water was just so powerful they had to take the extra precautions.

“Ryleigh was the one doing CPR on dad for the time it took for the boat to get there. And when they got there the paramedics pronounced him dead, and that there was nothing they could do to save him after that long.”

Still in shock, Justin said he was grateful to have been with his father in his final moments and that he thought his father would be proud.

“I tried my best to save him, so I think he would,” he said.

Mr Roser lived a large life for someone ‘who wasn’t the biggest of men’. He worked as a farm hand at nearby Cudgen. His son said he will be greatly missed.

“He was a great man. For such a small man, he was a giant, with a heat of gold and went at life 110 per cent per cent.

“I can’t really put into words what he meant to me, he was the person I looked up to in life, the person I could turn to when things were bad. He was my best friend and a great father. I wouldn’t have changed anything about him.”

Justin’s mother Toni Rawson, who now lives in Queensland, is now with the family.

Five people are confirmed dead across NSW and Queensland, including two women in NSW.

Jan Baihn had been driving with her husband when their car was swept away as the severe weather rocked the Hunter Valley, in Northern NSW.

The pair were hit by a wall of water as they drove towards their Merriwa home. Mrs Baihn was swept away while her husband, John, managed to escape and spent the night searching for his wife.

Marc Austin, aged 47, was also found dead in his flooded caravan after floodwaters washed over Mulwillumbah.

A friend, who would only give his name as Chris G, said he swam from his van in swirling floodwaters more than 2m deep and passed Mr Austin’s van at around 1am Friday morning and urged him to get out.

“I saw passed him at and yelled to get out. He wouldn’t come, he just closed his blind and continued drinking,” he said.

“He just looked like he was asleep on the bed when they found him yesterday.”

Another caravan park resident said Mr Austin may have underestimated the force and depth of the floodwaters.

“I just didn’t think it would be that bad, none of us did,” Jamie Bolton said.

Mr Austin’s mother, Shirley, took to Facebook to say it had been a “terrible shock”.

“God rest our son, lost in the floods,” she said.

“It has been a terrible shock, the caravan was washed away by the flood water and Marc was asleep inside.”

She said Mr Austin was now at rest with his own son, adding “peace at last”.

In December she wrote about losing her grandson: “Rip our darling grandson, we will never forget you”.

Residents of Lismore and surrounds now face a costly clean up, with many buildings still underwater and authorities warning people not to try and ford swollen waterways.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Kyle Stewart said while it’s not over yet, some areas are starting the process of recovery and that generally begins with cleaning up.

“There are still parts of the state affected by flood waters and our message remains the same — heed warnings from emergency services agencies, abide by evacuations orders and always put safety first,” he said.

“Floodwater is extremely dangerous as it can have fast moving undercurrents that can wash people and vehicles away. Everyone should always remember to never drive, ride or walk through floodwater.”</s>A third body has been found in the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie and accompanying floods that swamped Australia’s east coast, as receding waters start revealing the human and economic cost of the storm. The disaster zone stretched 1,000 km (600 miles) from Queensland state’s tropical resort islands and Gold Coast tourist strip to the farmlands of New South Wales state.

The body of 77-year-old Nelson Raebel was found in floodwaters in the state of Queensland on Saturday afternoon, Queensland Police said, bringing the national death toll to three since the cyclone hit on Tuesday.

Authorities are still searching for another three people that remain missing in flood-hit areas of Queensland.

 Evacuation orders are still in place for a number townships in northern New South Wales, but authorities said on Sunday the flood threat was receding.

“There are still a number of communities subject to evacuation orders and in some instance people have remained in their properties and that’s causing us the biggest challenge at the moment,” Mark Morrow of the NSW State Emergency Service told Channel 9.

Several large rivers that had reached major flood levels were falling, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said on Sunday. But the city of Rockhampton in Queensland state is bracing for record-level flooding next week.

Cyclone Debbie, a category four storm, one short of the most powerful level five, pounded Queensland state on Tuesday, smashing tourist resorts, bringing down power lines and shutting down coal mines.

Australia’s Defence Force was deployed to help deliver medical personnel and supplies to communities in the north of the state.

 Debbie will hit Australia’s A$1.7 trillion ($1.3 trillion) economy, with economists estimating it will slow growth to under 2 percent in the first quarter.

Photos taken by emergency services in the town of Lismore, in New South Wales, show businesses in the town centre inundated with brown water.

The Insurance Council of Australia has declared the event a catastrophe.

For all the latest World News, download Indian Express App now</s>Australian authorities on Sunday said they found a third body in the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie and accompanying floods that swamped the country’s east coast, as receding waters start revealing the human and economic cost of the storm.

The disaster zone stretched 1,000 km (600 miles) from Queensland state’s tropical resort islands and Gold Coast tourist strip to the farmlands of New South Wales state.

The body of 77-year-old Nelson Raebel was found in floodwaters in the state of Queensland on Saturday afternoon, Queensland Police said, bringing the national death toll to three since the cyclone hit on Tuesday.

Authorities are still searching for another three people that remain missing in flood-hit areas of Queensland.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the devastation caused by the storm was huge. “It is going to take months to repair,” she told reporters on Sunday.

The Insurance Council of Australia has declared the event a catastrophe, which could cost hundreds of millions of dollars in losses.

Photos taken by emergency services in the town of Lismore, in New South Wales, show businesses in the town centre inundated with brown water.

Mayor Isaac Smith, who was assessing the damage on Sunday, told Reuters it resembled a “war zone”.

Several large rivers in New South Wales that had reached major flood levels were receding, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said on Sunday.

But evacuation orders were still in place for a number of townships in the state’s north, while the city of Rockhampton in Queensland braced for record-level flooding next week, as water moves downstream into the Fitzroy River catchment.

“It’s almost the size of Texas in the U.S., it’s a huge catchment, and that’s why it can take some time for water to make it’s way downstream,” said meteorologist Michelle Verry from the Queensland BOM.

Verry said what remains of the cyclone has moved off Australia’s eastern coast.

Cyclone Debbie, a category four storm, one short of the most powerful level five, pounded Queensland state on Tuesday, smashing tourist resorts, bringing down power lines and shutting down coal mines.

Australia’s Defence Force was deployed to help deliver medical personnel and supplies to communities in the north of the state.

Debbie will hit Australia’s A$1.7 trillion ($1.3 trillion) economy, with economists estimating it will slow growth to under 2 percent in the first quarter.</s>SYDNEY: A third body has been found in the aftermath of Cyclone Debbie and accompanying floods that swamped Australia’s east coast, as receding waters start revealing the human and economic cost of the storm.

The disaster zone stretched 1,000 km (600 miles) from Queensland state's tropical resort islands and Gold Coast tourist strip to the farmlands of New South Wales state.

The body of 77-year-old Nelson Raebel was found in floodwaters in the state of Queensland on Saturday afternoon, Queensland Police said, bringing the national death toll to three since the cyclone hit on Tuesday.

Authorities are still searching for another three people that remain missing in flood-hit areas of Queensland.

Evacuation orders are still in place for a number townships in northern New South Wales, but authorities said on Sunday the flood threat was receding.

“There are still a number of communities subject to evacuation orders and in some instance people have remained in their properties and that’s causing us the biggest challenge at the moment,” Mark Morrow of the NSW State Emergency Service told Channel 9.

Several large rivers that had reached major flood levels were falling, the Australian Bureau of Meteorology said on Sunday. But the city of Rockhampton in Queensland state is bracing for record-level flooding next week.

Cyclone Debbie, a category four storm, one short of the most powerful level five, pounded Queensland state on Tuesday, smashing tourist resorts, bringing down power lines and shutting down coal mines.

Australia’s Defence Force was deployed to help deliver medical personnel and supplies to communities in the north of the state.

Debbie will hit Australia's AUS$1.7 trillion (1.03 trillion pounds) economy, with economists estimating it will slow growth to under 2 percent in the first quarter.

Photos taken by emergency services in the town of Lismore, in New South Wales, show businesses in the town centre inundated with brown water.

The Insurance Council of Australia has declared the event a catastrophe.</s>Flooded rivers were still rising Saturday in two Australian states with two women dead and four people missing after torrential rains in the wake of a powerful tropical cyclone.

Queensland police warned that the Logan River, which runs through Beenleigh south of Brisbane, would not hit peak flood levels for several more hours while the city of Rockhampton to the north was also facing a major threat.

Commissioner Ian Stewart warned there was “still a major risk to the community around Logan and further south caused by that flooding situation.”

Rockhampton, with a population of over 80,000 on the Fitzroy River, is expected to suffer flood levels not seen for a century by Wednesday and Stewart urged residents in low-lying areas to leave.

“By Wednesday, we will be at peak flooding in Rockhampton,” he said.

“It won’t just be on Wednesday, it will be a gradual rise, so I encourage people to move now.”

Queensland police tweeted “we currently have four people missing… that we have serious concerns about,” but provided no further detail.

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from a string of towns in Queensland and New South Wales as the floods move south towards Ballina.

Category four Cyclone Debbie hit northeastern Australia on Tuesday between Bowen and Airlie Beach ripping up trees and causing widespread damage that is still being assessed.

It was downgraded to a tropical low as it tracked southeast. But the storm still packed damaging winds and dumped huge amounts of rain all the way down the east coast to Sydney and beyond before blowing out over the Tasman Sea.

Police on Friday found the body of a woman who disappeared in floodwaters near Murwillumbah just south of the Queensland border.

And a 64-year-old woman, whose vehicle was swept off a causeway on a property in Gungal, in the Hunter Valley south of Sydney was also found dead Friday.

Lismore, south of Murwillumbah was among the worst flooded towns on Friday with Tweed Heads, Kingscliff and Murwillumbah also subject to evacuation orders.

Just to the north the popular Queensland tourist city of Gold Coast and surrounds were also inundated.

In areas further north where the cyclone made landfall, water and power were still being restored.

Bowen, Mackay and the Whitsunday islands, where power went down for more than 50,000 people, bore the brunt of the cyclone.

The military has mobilised 1,300 soldiers for the clean-up, with helicopters and planes deploying to restore infrastructure and supply emergency food, water and fuel.

The Insurance Council of Australia declared the Queensland and northern NSW regions disaster zones, adding that the damage bill could top Aus$1 billion (U.S. $770 million).

The council’s chief Rob Whelan compared Debbie it to Cyclone Oswald, a category five storm which hit in 2013 and caused over Aus$1 billion in damage.</s>BEENLEIGH, Australia: Flooded rivers were still rising Saturday in two Australian states with two women dead and four people missing after torrential rains in the wake of a powerful tropical cyclone.

Queensland police warned that the Logan River, which runs through Beenleigh south of Brisbane, would only hit peak flood levels during the afternoon while further north the city of Rockhampton was also facing a serious threat.

Commissioner Ian Stewart warned there was "still a major risk to the community around Logan and further south caused by that flooding situation."

Rockhampton, with a population of over 80,000 on the Fitzroy River, was expected to suffer flood levels not seen for a century and Stewart urged residents in low-lying areas to leave.

"By Wednesday, we will be at peak flooding in Rockhampton," he said.

"It will be a gradual rise, so I encourage people to move now."

Queensland police tweeted "we currently have four people missing... that we have serious concerns about," including a 77-year-old man.

Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated from a string of towns in Queensland and New South Wales as the floods move south towards Ballina, cutting roads.

Others have tried to stick it out to save their properties.

The scene was grim along the Logan river.

Casey Bently, a 47-year-old mechanic from North Maclean appeared visibly upset as she looked at her house, submerged to the roof.

"We got as much out as we could in the short time that we had," she told AFP.

"People have lost everything. I'd only just finished renovating the house, and it is all gone again now."

Nearby a calf was stuck in a tree as a man in a kayak paddled out to see if it was alive. Dozens gathered to watch but by the time two people on jet skis arrived to help the calf only to discover it was dead.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull called on residents in affected areas to exercise caution.

"In many parts of the country you will see floodwaters continuing to rise over the next days," he told reporters.

"This is a very dangerous time in these flooded areas.

"I want to say to everybody who is affected by these floods – do not go into flooded waters. Do not cross flooded roads."

Category four Cyclone Debbie hit northeastern Australia on Tuesday between Bowen and Airlie Beach ripping up trees and causing widespread damage that is still being assessed.

It was downgraded to a tropical low as it tracked southeast still packing high winds and dumping huge amounts of rain all down the east coast to Sydney and beyond before blowing out over the Tasman Sea.

Police on Friday found the body of a woman who disappeared in floodwaters near Murwillumbah just south of the Queensland border.

And a 64-year-old woman, whose vehicle was swept off a causeway on a property in Gungal, in the Hunter Valley south of Sydney was also found dead Friday.

Lismore, south of Murwillumbah was among the worst flooded towns on Friday with Tweed Heads, Kingscliff and Murwillumbah also subject to evacuation orders.

In areas further north where the cyclone made landfall, water and power were still being restored.

Bowen, Mackay and the Whitsunday islands bore the brunt of the cyclone and nearly 40,000 homes were waiting to be re-connected on Saturday.

The military has mobilised 1,300 soldiers for the clean-up with helicopters and planes deploying to restore infrastructure and supply emergency food, water and fuel.

The Insurance Council of Australia declared the Queensland and northern NSW regions disaster zones, adding that the damage bill could top A$1 billion (US$770 million).
The death toll from Cyclone Debbie and the associated flooding in the Australian states of New South Wales and Queensland rises to five people.