Stradbroke Island residents share experience on Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred

Stradbroke Island residents have been left confused and relieved after expecting a category 2 cyclone.

Stradbroke Island residents have been taken aback after the events of last night following warnings that Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred could make landfall as a category two system.

Residents and local business owners on Stradbroke Island have labelled the weather event last night as “a non-event” after days of preparation and warnings.

Local Business Owner Chris Ransley described the event as “all prep with no action”.

“From my perspective I slept through the entire night,” he said.

Mr Ransley said this morning, he had visited the gelati shop he owns and said aside from power outages, there was no damage and described it as a “blessing”.

“The wind really didn’t come through as hard as we were thinking it would do,” he said.

“Honestly it was less than it was the night before.”

Mr Ransley said there had been “a lot of worry and a lot of hype” around what could potentially happen.

Residents prepare for Cyclone Alfred on Stradbroke Island. Picture: Melanie Lawlor

“You got to take it seriously just in case, I’m super happy we did what we did … then we know we would have done all the right steps to minimise any damage and risks to properties,” he said.

Meanwhile, Resident Melanie Lawlor said after being told to stay inside, she hadn’t heard anything

“I’ve been through a category 5 cyclone in Fiji and it was absolutely mental, comparing those two, you couldn’t even compare them,” she said.

Ms Lawlor said she expected a lot more damage compared to what they had woken up to this morning.

“I think it’s good to over prepare,” she said.

“I feel like it was more wild the night before.”

Residents prepare for Cyclone Alfred on Stradbroke Island. Picture: Melanie Lawlor

Stradbroke Island Resident Clara Durbidge said it was “stressful” preparing her home in the days leading up to the cyclone.

“I live in a really old beach back, and, you know, the windows don’t close properly,” she said.

“It (the cyclone) didn’t deliver anything that we’d all been prepping for.”

Ms Durbidge said the nervous systems had been “frazzled” over the previous days.

“We were ready for it and it was just like, ‘ah, was that it?’”