Roads have been cut around the cyclone-hit north Queensland communities of Bowen, Airlie Beach and Proserpine making it difficult for crews to get in and assess the damage.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says there have been few reports of injuries so far, but warns many of those who bore the brunt of Debbie's category four fury can't are still without ways to call for help.
"At the moment, not many reports of injury, but, having said that, we still know that a lot of people have lost communications, so he we want to make sure that everyone is safe there," she told ABC television on Wednesday.
A man hit by a falling wall in Proserpine was in a stable condition and would be moved to Mackay Hospital as soon as possible.
Everyone in the inland mining town of Collinsville, where Debbie passed as a downgraded category two storm, appeared to be safe despite structural damage, including at the pub where the roof was ripped off.
The premier warned access to some parts of the disaster zone in the Whitsunday region was going to be difficult.
"I've just been advised that all the roads have been cut off around Bowen, Airlie Beach, Proserpine," she said.
"It will be a huge job to clear those roads, so we are asking people to stay indoors and not move until we can get our emergency personnel there."
Ms Palaszczuk detailed substantial, structural damage on Hamilton Island, which was the first to feel the full fury of the category four Debbie on Tuesday.
Everyone on Daydream Island was safe, but about 200 guests and 50 to 60 staff were running out of water.
"Our priority is to get water onto Daydream," Ms Palaszczuk said.
"We are yet to make contact with Hayman Island."
The Whitsunday resorts had been rebuilt after past cyclones, the premier noted.
"Our islands, our Whitsunday islands, are some of the most beautiful, pristine islands in the world that people come from all around the world to visit. They have been rebuilt before, and I know they can do it again," she said.
She also revealed a baby had been born safely in the Whitsundays during the storm.
"You know, out of all of this, to see a little miracle, I think brings a smile to a lot of faces," Ms Palaszczuk said.
But, in any case, many Queenslanders would on Wednesday find their "lives turned upside down" by Debbie, which was still causing widespread rain.
BOWEN "A WARZONE"
"It looks like a war zone."
That's the initial assessment of Whitsunday Regional Council Mayor Andrew Willcox who was driving around the cyclone ravaged north Queensland town of Bowen early on Wednesday.
"I'm trying to make sure everyone is OK," he told ABC television.
Mr Willcox said he didn't have to go far to see the damage cause by Debbie, which hit the area as a category four cyclone on Tuesday afternoon.
"My own roller door blew off yesterday. Trees are down . . . I just had to do a bit of rally driving to get around the power pole that's down and there's wires down across the road about 100 yards from my house," he said.
The Whitsunday Regional Council area covers the coastal areas of Bowen, Airlie Beach, Hamilton Island and Prosperine.
It also reaches inland to Collinsville, a mining town that was hit overnight by Debbie, which had by then devolved into a category two cyclone.
"A pub in Collinsville lost their roof last night because the storm kept going inland last night," Mr Willcox said.
"They're going to need some help up there as well."
Mr Willcox said Bowen was "half wrecked".
"We have power lines down with awnings ripped off buildings, a lot of signs knocked off," he told Nine Network.
"In Proserpine, a lot of residential damage in there as well."
Some 58,000 homes are without power.
Energy companies, emergency workers and volunteers and other authorities are expected to conduct a sweep after first light.
"I ask everyone to please be patient," Mr Willcox said, adding that everyone needed to remain in their homes until help arrived or the all clear was given.
"We don't want any fatalities after the event in the clean-up," he said.
A search and rescue is underway for two fishermen after their boat ran aground on rocks in the Whitsundays overnight on Tuesday.
It happened near the western side of Whitsunday Island and the men were able to email family in New South Wales to alert them before contact was lost.
An air search would begin at first light but continuing bad weather from now ex-cyclone Debbie could hamper search efforts.
