Victims of 2022 wipe-out trembling in fear as Alfred rumbles on

Memories of the 2022 floods still give many residents in flood-prone areas cold shivers, making the build-up to Tropical Cyclone Alfred even more nerve-racking.

Residents and business owners in flood-prone areas are rushing to prepare and evacuate, as the state government urged at-risk Queenslanders to consider leaving before Tropical Cyclone Alfred makes landfall.

The Category 2 cyclone is likely to hit the South East Queensland mainland at 7am on Friday as the system tracks slowly towards the coast.

The Brisbane City Council released new flood mapping on Tuesday which showed the suburbs around Brisbane most at risk.

Premier David Crisafulli urged the tens of thousands living in flood-prone suburbs to consider leaving their homes, while police began doorknocking homes likely to be impacted by the storm surge.

Billiard Blitz owner Steve Day had been cleaning out his business since Monday, removing products, tools and valuable items.

Co-owner of Billiard Blitz, Steve Day, is evacuating the Yeerongpilly factory and showroom due to Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Picture: Richard Walker

His Rocklea business, which saw 2.8m of water inundate his store during the 2022 floods, was right in front of the Rocky Water Hole creek.

“All day yesterday, Monday and into the night we have been trying to get as much out as we can. The expensive stuff, the important stuff,” he explained.

“The latest update said it’s going to be pretty bad. We are expecting to get water through higher than the floods (in 2022).

“In 2022 we saw 2.8 metres of water right through, we would be underwater right now. The water line is still on the wall. Everything got wet, we just lost everything.

“We had to start again three years ago almost to the day and now we are clearing out again it’s just not good.

“It is just what it is we will have the emotion of it when it’s over. But at the moment we can’t afford to, we just have got to work hard and get it done.”

Mr Day said the creek behind his business could not handle heavy rain, concerned of what a cyclone’s impacts could be.

Mr Day is concerned about the creek behind his business. Picture: Richard Walker

“It is just going to go under we have just resigned to the fact that it will just be full of water,” Mr Day said.

“The river is tidal so we obviously know there are high tides at the moment. So if there is a lot of water at a high tide that pushes the creek up. The creek out there is a bit of a mess it has never been cleaned up.

“They have done nothing to start clearing it, widening it or to even just mow the grass occasionally so the water can flow. But all that debris out there just makes the water higher.

“It is stressful, it is highly stressful. When the water starts to come up you think it might come in.

“Look this is a rare event, this is a one off event and we just need to cop that and deal with it. But we haven’t had anyone come and look at (the creek).”

Mr Day said the process was emotionally and also financially hard, particularly after having to recover from the 2022 floods.

“We have worked really hard for the last three years since the flood. We got flooded, we lost everything and we made the decision to continue on,” he said.

“So having this all of a sudden, is just tough.”

Meanwhile, the staff at Hans Garage had been tirelessly trying to repair and remove more than 40 cars from their workshop to avoid flood damage.

Murray Sidik had spent Wednesday morning creating a hole in the Rocklea garage’s wall to remove an air compressor out of the store and away from water.

“We have been trying to get all of the cars mobile so we can get them out of the shop. The ones that can’t be we have got to tow out,” he said.

“Whatever is left, tools and equipment are being put onto a hoist and lifted to avoid water. We are hoping it should be high enough to save everything.

“This is it today because tomorrow we won’t have the time. We won’t be taking any chances.”

Windsor resident Chandra Thevar, 66, has lived in his home for 25 years, during which he’s endured three major flooding events.

During the most recent floods in 2022, waters rose so high they seeped into Mr Thevar’s elevated home.

More than two metres off the ground, his house still got inches of murky flood water pouring in.

“It kept coming, every half hour it would rise a step,” he said.

“I knew I had to get out.

“One of my neighbours was in a kayak and gave me a lift, and I went under because the water was above my head.”

Chandra Thevar has just recovered from 2022 flooding to his Windsor home, and is now waiting for Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Picture: Richard Walker

Mr Thevar has since raised his house to 2.6m off the ground - an increase he hopes will make the difference this time around.

“I didn’t expect it to happen again in three years,” he said.

“It took me nearly two-and-a-half years to raise it... hopefully it’s enough.

“I live on my own, I just wanted the TV on, to have a shower, have something to eat, and sleep, that’s it.”

Ben Gittins, 32, hasn’t even lived in his current home for a year, but has lived in Windsor for half a decade.

Having learned from past natural disasters, Mr Gittins and his family are getting out of the flood-prone area.

“We’ve got an Airbnb on the south side of Brisbane,” he said.

“It’s better to just get out.”

Originally published as Victims of 2022 wipe-out trembling in fear as Alfred rumbles on