Australia Weather News

Cyclone Debbie has destroyed some of Proserpine pig farmer Christina della Velle's pig shelter sheds - ABC

A pig and cattle farmer in cyclone-affected north Queensland had already lost several buildings before Cyclone Debbie's full force hit.

But Christina della Valle said it was too dangerous to venture out yet to see how her animals were faring.

Ms della Valle farms several dozen pigs at her Proserpine property, including rare black pigs.

"I don't know where the pigs are," she said.

Her farm recorded 230 millimetres of rain in just a few hours on Tuesday morning, but she said it was the wind gusts ahead of the massive cyclone's arrival that have caused the damage.

"The damage that we can see was done at six o'clock this morning," Ms della Valle said, which was a full seven hours before the cyclone crossed the coast.

"I don't know if it was a wind gust or a wind change, but that's when the big machinery shed just went.

"Actually, one of the sheets from a shed has blown up to the house 200 metres away."

Of six reinforced pig shelter sheds, from what she can ascertain just three remain standing.

"One just disintegrated completely," she said.

"The pig paddock is in front of the house and I can't go there because it's too dangerous.

"Fortunately I don't have any newborn piglets at the moment because they would probably be swept away.

ABC