by Dramelin 3:00 AM 0 comments

The Insurance Council of Australia declared the cyclone a catastrophe, activating a hotline to help policy holders with claims.
A Category 3 storm on the Australian scale typically entails gusts of more than 102 miles an hour.
SYDNEY, Australia ? A menacing Cyclone Debbie struck the Australian coastline with devastating force Tuesday, slowly churning its path of destruction inland with wind gusts as high as 160 miles per hour, forcing tens of thousands to flee and leaving at least 48,000 homes without power.
PhotoThe government has deployed 1,000 personnel to provide assistance and disaster relief, with the army on standby to help out.
Its slow, potent march inland had officials fearing widespread damage, but the loss of telephone service and power left emergency responders struggling to assess the situation.