Airlie Beach locals scramble for supplies

Ice, water and milk is being snapped up by hungry Airlie Beach locals after Woolworths opened its doors for the first time since Cyclone Debbie descended on the north Queensland coast.

Customers flocked to the store throughout Thursday morning, eager to stock up on supplies.

There were lengthy queues at every checkout as people bought everything from vegetables to SIM cards and meat for barbecuing.

Adam Spicer and his dad came down early to buy milk, apples, water and toilet paper.

Mr Spicer said they wanted to stock up on essentials because there was no indication of when the power or running water would be turned back on.

"It's sort of like glamorous camping, but with everything smashed up," he told AAP.

Mr Spicer said tiles had blown off their roof and cars had been smashed during Cyclone Debbie's reign on Tuesday.

"It was intense," he said.

Californian tourists Bon Kumsang and Dereck Hagan also visited the Woolworths to pick up supplies for their families.

Mr Kumsang said there hadn't been any fighting inside the store, but people had started to push in line.

"Yesterday was bad, there were people pushing and arguing in the line for the convenience store," he told AAP.

Airlie Beach remains largely in lockdown as emergency services try to repair fallen power lines and roads following Cyclone Debbie.

Businesses will be unable to reopen until the power is reconnected.

Two restaurants opened for brief periods on Wednesday to cook up meat and seafood that had to be used.