Influencer Kat Clark called ‘dramatic’ after sharing fears for home, business as Cyclone Alfred nears
An Aussie influencer has been sharing the fears for her home and business over Cyclone Alfred but, online, the response has been divided.
Companies
Don't miss out on the headlines from Companies. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Influencer Kat Clark has shared her candid fears for her home and business as Queensland and northern parts of NSW continue to brace for Cyclone Alfred, but she’s being trolled online because of it.
Cyclone Alfred is heading towards Australia’s east coast. Thousands of people have been told to prepare to evacuate, including from the entire CBD of a northern NSW city at risk of inundation.
The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has noted a significant change in Alfred – it appears to have slowed down. It’s now travelling westwards at a mere 7km/h.
Last night Ms Clark, who lives on the Gold Coast, shared a text message she received warning her to “take shelter” because significant flooding could be heading her way.
This morning, she told news.com.au that, while her home was still safe, the reality of the frightening weather heading their way had started to set in.
“Our backyard has started to flood. It is not bad, though, but a little scary as it wasn’t even raining that bad last night,” she said.
Ms Clark said her family is “worried” and “unsure what is to come” as she’s never dealt with a cyclone before.
“We haven’t evacuated. Our home and our business is here. We have supplies to help us get through if we lose power and water,” she said.
Ms Clark, who is the mother of two daughters and has millions of followers across social media, said she’s particularly “worried about the flooding” because her family owns their home, and the idea of it being damaged is heartbreaking.
The 37-year-old also fears for her business, as the warehouse for her skincare company, Kalade, is “very close to flood zones.”
Thus, not only is her home at risk but also the business she founded herself.
She’s been sharing online her efforts to prepare for the cyclone, which include stocking up on supplies and making sure she has backup phone charges in case of emergencies.
Bizarrely, as Ms Clark prepares for the worst, she’s being trolled online because of it.
“It is a cyclone not the end of the world,” one wrote.
“Good lord this is an over-reaction,” someone else sniped.
“So dramatic,” one criticised.
People also defended Ms Clark, pointing out that Australia isn’t used to dealing with cyclones and that there’s nothing wrong with being prepared for the worst.
“A lot of people are saying I’m not prepared enough, and then there’s some people saying I’m being dramatic, but honestly, I’d rather be over-prepared than underprepared,” she said.
Despite the fear for her home and business Ms Clark is mostly just worried about her family and people’s safety.
“My biggest fear is for someone I love to get seriously hurt during this cyclone,” she said.
“We also obviously don’t want to lose our business and our home, which are both located on the Gold Coast. We are just listening to what the authorities are telling us to do and hoping for the best.”
Originally published as Influencer Kat Clark called ‘dramatic’ after sharing fears for home, business as Cyclone Alfred nears
ACCC probe snubs Dutton’s supermarket call
A landmark probe into Australia’s supermarket giants made 20 recommendations to improve competition, but that did not include the Coalition’s big call.
Demand for supermarkets to fix shrinkflation
Woolworths and Coles could soon be forced to issue shrinkflation warnings on all products to alert shoppers when items have been reduced but not dropped in price.