Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated and approximately 84,000 households are without power as Cyclone Alfred heads toward Australia’s eastern coast. The rare tropical cyclone is set to make landfall on Saturday morning, between the Sunshine Coast, the Gold Coast, and Brisbane, Australia’s third-largest city.
Expected to be a category two system, Cyclone Alfred could bring wind speeds up to 130 km/h. This marks the first cyclone to hit the area in 50 years, and authorities are concerned about the potential for severe flooding. A man has already gone missing after his vehicle was swept into a fast-flowing river in New South Wales, and with four million people in the storm’s path, flooding fears continue to rise.
The cyclone’s slow, “erratic” progress has heightened concerns about flash flooding and riverine flooding, especially in low-lying areas. Weather experts warn it could dump as much as 800mm of rain in the coming days.
Stephen Valentine, a resident of Logan city south of Brisbane, shared his preparations with his wife, including 30 litres of water, food supplies for their family and pets, and setting up “protected rooms” away from windows. “At the moment we are as prepared as we can be for something that none of us have been through… Nothing has come this far south across the south,” said Mr. Valentine.
While Queensland frequently faces cyclones, it is rare for them to strike this far south. “These are tough times, but Australians are tough people, and we are resilient people,” said Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, echoing Gold Coast Acting Mayor Donna Gates, who called Cyclone Alfred a “scary proposition.”
As a precaution, nearly 1,000 schools have closed, public transport has been suspended, and airports are shut, with flights not expected to resume until Sunday at the earliest. Elective surgeries have also been cancelled.
The last major cyclone in the region occurred in 1974 when Cyclones Wanda and Zoe struck within months of each other. Flooding, however, is more common, with significant damage caused by heavy rain in February 2022. In preparation for Cyclone Alfred, local councils have opened sandbag depots to help residents protect their homes.
