WHILE some were waiting for the eye of Cyclone Debbie to make a mercy dash, others were actually out in the storm putting their lives on the line.

As Proserpine was gripped by 260kmh winds and most people sought shelter, Chris Harvey leapt into action - his first port of call, the Prosperine Nursing Home.

"I helped shift some residents around from one wing to the other as there was flooding,” he said.

"I took lunches to all the staff and all the residents, from the kitchen to all the wings.

"And then one of the generators tripped and I got that running again in the middle of the cyclone.”

Chris put in 12 hours at the nursing home the day Tropical Cyclone Debbie hit.

"I just wanted to help them.

"They needed as much help as they could get and no one else was coming to help them,” Chris said.

"I was able to (get to them) and I knew my place was safe right next door so I went and gave them a hand as best I could.”

Chris then took off to the council chambers and put in a 14-hour day as an auxiliary firefighter with Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, organising the recovery effort with the Whitsunday Disaster Coordination Centre.

Following this he put in six nights, camped out at the Proserpine Fire Station.

The following week he relocated to the State Emergency Service shed on Phillip St and helped coordinate the Proserpine mill community recovery effort and SES crews.

Included in the work with the SES was a mission to get generators across the Andromache River after flash flooding had knocked the bridge out.

Chris said his huge effort was an extension of his role as a Proserpine Rotary member and a Friends of the Theatre volunteer.

He said his actions were simply the way he was raised and he had always "just wanted to help”.

"I just do it for the greater need of the community,” Chris said.