As TC Debbie slowed and weaved on its approach to the Whitsunday coast on Tuesday, the hopes of many in the Flinders region for rain faded.
Prairie’s Sharon Jonnson was among those expressing disappointment at the outcome.
“It felt a bit like Christmas had been cancelled,” she said.
It felt like Christmas had been cancelled.
- Sharon Jonnson
“It was so exciting but we should have known better.
“When the cyclone was originally tracking our way, we were in the 50mm zone, and we were all looking for a proper break in the season.”
Sharon said there had been isolated falls in the region but they had been very patchy.
Flinders mayor Jane McNamara was in a similar frame of mind on Wednesday morning, saying she had already had graziers express their disappointment to her.
“Some are still very badly affected by drought and are really praying for rain,” she said. “Hughenden was in the firing line for rain at the beginning of the cyclone warnings, and people need to be aware that businesses, on properties and in town, are not travelling well.”
Ironically, the town was experiencing its first taste of wind and rain on Wednesday morning as the local disaster management group meeting concluded with the decision to stand down.
Cr McNamara said because of the speed the system was travelling, she didn’t expect the misty rain to hang round for long.
As the system began tracking southwards over the central interior of Queensland on Wednesday, agents at Blackall were preparing to draft 2200 head for their special weaner sale on Thursday, with barely a breeze disrupting proceedings.