Tropical Cyclone Alfred is barrelling towards the coast and those on the ground are hoping for the best amid concerns it could bring conditions that cause billions of dollars of damage.
The latest forecast predicts Alfred will hit between the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast late Friday or early Saturday — almost 24 hours later than initially predicted.
It will be the first cyclone to impact the southeast coast since 1974.
‘Worse than what we thought’
Ellen Flint, who lives in the coastal suburb of Wellington Point in Brisbane, swung into action on Thursday and had been preparing “all day” when NITV News spoke to her.
“We weren’t going to do anything too much, but then we thought, no, it’s looking worse than what we thought” Flint said.
In a bid to keep water out of her property, Flint was using pillow slips filled with sand because she “couldn’t get any sandbags and the line was too busy”.
She said there’s concern over the unknown, with people “not knowing what they’re going to get”.
Ellen Flint used pillow slips filled with sand to keep water out from her Wellington Point property because she “couldn’t get any sandbags and the line was too busy”. Source: SBS News
Flint expects the wind will likely “create havoc”, but she’s also concerned about flooding.
“[Water] has come over the road before, but only halfway up the drive,” she said. “So that’s nothing like it’s going to be this time, I’m sure.”
Flint has her “fingers crossed it doesn’t get that bad”.
Kim Catley also lives in Wellington Point. She said her family has been given warnings to prepare for evacuation and to monitor government alerts.
She hopes her house will be spared from inundation like it was during the 2022 floods, but said the “ferocity” of the cyclone is unknown.
“We haven’t really lived in Queensland while this has occurred before,” she told NITV News.
She said her family will likely have to stay put because relatives live in the NSW Northern Rivers region which is also bracing for Alfred.
“They’ve been copping it for the last few days and they’re preparing to evacuate themselves,” she said.
Shelley Boughey lives in the hinterland, which, along with the Gold Coast, is .
Boughey said big gum trees surround her property and she’s “a little nervous” winds may create a repeat of around Christmas time where there was a big storm and many trees came down.
“I think the same thing will happen,” she told SBS News. “And we’re not sure how long the power will be out; so we’ve had the generators done, all the chairs tied down … we’re taking it seriously.”
Shelley Boughey lives in the Gold Coast hinterland and is “a little nervous” as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaches. Source: SBS News
‘Cool, but scary’
Hannah Lindgren and her friend Wilma Hultmark are from Sweden and studying at Bond University on the Gold Coast. SBS News spoke to them at Burleigh Heads as they were preparing to “go home and take shelter”.
“We haven’t really experienced this kind of weather before, so it’s cool to see but of course we are very scared,” Lindgren said. “So we just have to stay safe and ride the storm out.”
Alfred is expected to lash northern NSW too, with the state’s acting SES chief superintendent Stuart Fisher saying the cyclone could be worse than.
SES Commissioner Mike Wassing said 20,000 people across 10,000 homes could be affected in “worst-case scenario numbers”.
Up to 700mm of rain could fall on the region with authorities advising residents “pray for the best but prepare for the worst”.
More than 2,000 emergency volunteers armed with drones, high-clearance vehicles and water pumps have been deployed but NSW Premier Chris Minns stressed they cannot be everywhere and urged common sense.
Treasurer Jim Chalmers told the ABC on Thursday he expects Tropical Cyclone Alfred will cause “billions of dollars of damage”.
Hannah Lindgren (right) and her friend Wilma Hultmark from Sweden. They are studying on the Gold Coast and say they “haven’t really experienced this kind of weather before”. Source: SBS News
Tips for staying safe during Tropical Cyclone Alfred
Yetta Gurtner, an adjunct senior lecturer and coordinator of Centre for Disaster Studies at James Cook University, told the ABC on Thursday it is likely that people in cyclone affected areas will see debris flying around, lose electricity and may not be able to access television or internet.
Battery-powered AM/FM radios can provide a point of contact with the outside world in the case that telecommunications services drop out.
For those sheltering in homes, Gurtner said the safest room in the house is usually the “smallest room with the least windows”.
“It may be in the hallway, it may actually be somewhere like under the stairs, it’s usually on the lowest level of your house.”
Gurtner also warned that flooding can cause sewerage to spill out of toilets and drains, so it’s important to block them.
Supplies should last for around five to seven days, Gurtner said, as recent cyclone events in North Queensland have shown roads and supply chains can be cut off for days following storms.
The mental wellbeing of cyclone-affected communities should also be taken seriously, Gurtner said, and those experiencing anxiety should have conversations with family and friends or call community helplines.
Readers seeking support with mental health can contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636. More information is available at . supports people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
This story was produced in collaboration with Michael Rennie from NITV News, and includes reporting by the Australian Associated Press.
