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On Thursday, Tropical cyclones Lam and Marcia roared towards Australia, sending residents looking for shelter from the "very destructive cores" which are rapidly increased intensity.
Tropical Cyclone Lam, a category three storm, was tracking toward the Northern Territory where indigenous communities of Milingimbi and Gapuwiyak reside, with landfall expected for early Friday morning.
Tropical Cyclone Marcia, however, reached further south and was reclassified from a category two to four within hours. A warning was issued that it may reach a level five if it touches down in the heavily populated Queensland area.
"Severe tropical cyclone Marcia has become slow moving and continues to intensify, category 5 forecast for landfall," the Queensland Bureau of Meteorology tweeted.
Cyclones are common in northeastern Australia and range from one to five in strength. Category five is the most severe, capable of causing structural damage, uprooting trees as well as overturning caravans and trailers.
Queensland has been affected by several major storms and cyclones over the last several years. Cyclone Oswald, a category five storm, flooded parts of the state in 2013, causing approximately US$765 million in damages.
"This is a serious event. It has changed drastically since this morning," said Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. "Queenslanders need to be prepared now. This is an important time now not to panic but to make sure you have your preparations in place."
Towns near the eye of the storm were in lockdown and cyclone centers have been set up in Mackay, Proserpine and Yeppoon, some 670 kilometers (415 miles) north of Brisbane. All Queensland hospitals have evacuated their emergency rooms and additional ambulance services h ave been moved to specific aeas.
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