Mackay Regional Council establishes command centre ahead of Cyclone Kirrily

With Cyclone Kirrily expected to make landfall on Thursday, Mackay residents are filling their sandbags while council establishes their disaster command centre. See how the community is preparing.

From a sandbag depot on Shakespeare St to the council command post, all of Mackay is preparing for Cyclone Kirrily, with gale force winds, flash flooding, and relentless rainfall expected.

BOM’s warning zone for Tropical Cyclone Kirrily now covers Ayr to Sarina, including Mackay, Bowen and the Whitsunday Islands.

Destructive wind gusts up to 140 km/h may develop between Cardwell and Proserpine including Townsville and the Whitsunday Islands later on Thursday, BOM has warned.

Speaking from the the Local Disaster Management Group’s command post, Mayor Greg Williamson stressed the need to remain alert.

“We’ve been taking this very seriously,” he said.

“It looks very likely that it will be a scaled down cyclone, but nonetheless it will cross the coast.”

The Mayor sets up his command post with representatives from emergency services standing at the ready. Photo: Fergus Gregg

Mr Williamson likened the still-forming cyclone’s behaviour to that of Cyclone Debbie's.

“Anyone who’s taking this with a grain of salt should think again.”

Addressing visitors and tourists already in the region, Mr Williamson advised them to be aware of their location and have an evacuation plan in place, telling them “welcome to the north”.

Ahead of the extreme weather event, the Regional Council has made 14 sandbag locations across the region available to the public.

One of these is located next to the Mackay Cadet’s base on Shakespeare street, where East Mackay resident Emma was preparing for the worst.

“I’m worried about flooding,” she said.

“There’s a huge storm drain behind my house that’s been blocked in the past.

“My address is in an area that Suncorp will not insure anymore, so I’ve gotta be prepared.”

Kirsten from Andergrove is worried she'll have to hunker down at her workplace, the Mackay Base Hospital. Photo: Fergus Gregg

For some residents like Kirsten from Andergrove the oncoming Cyclone Kirrily’s behaviour is too familiar to Cyclone Debbie’s for their comfort.

“I had a house on Malcomson St, but that went under during Debbie,” she said.

“Now I’m in a caravan over in Andergrove.

“I just wanna be prepared.”
Mr Williamson has advised everyone in the region to consult the Disaster Dashboard.

“You must be aware of problems that may cut communities off,” he said.

With almost one metre of rainfall predicted in the Mackay region, communities in the Pioneer valley may experience flash flooding.

Despite concerns over flooding in rural communities, Mr Williamson has praised the “fantastic” precautionary measures and infrastructure upgrades that have been put in place in the Pioneer Valley following Cyclone Debbie.

In Mackay, businesses that supply emergency supplies like Road Tech Marine in Mount Pleasant and Jay Car Electronics in Mackay are securing their storefronts so they can “stay open until the last minute”.

“We’re not too worried about the wind, but we’re concerned about flooding,” said Tanika, a worker and manager at both of these locations.

“We sell generators and equipment that might be vital to the public.”

Residents and businesses alike are stocking up on sandbags ahead of Cyclone Kirrily making landfall. Photo: Fergus Gregg

Despite working hard to secure her workplaces, Tanika is unconcerned about the safety of her personal residence, unlike Kirsten.

Kirsten, who works at the Mackay Base Hospital, is filling sandbags to protect her home at the caravan park, as she may have to move to the Hospital temporarily.

“When the hospital starts putting their cyclone plan into place, that’s when you know to take this seriously,” she said.

“It’s all about being prepared.”

If you do not currently have a disaster preparedness plan in place, please consult the Mackay Disaster Dashboard for information on how to do so.