‘Think about evacuating’: Map shows 20,000 Brisbane properties at risk of flooding

Time was running out on Wednesday afternoon for millions of people in built-up coastal areas of south-east Queensland trying to prepare for a cyclone bringing destructive winds and flooding.

Schools, public transport and major roads were set to close as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approached, as Brisbane authorities warned residents that creeks and rivers were likely to flood.

The storm, which as of Wednesday afternoon remained a category 2, was expected to make landfall late on Thursday or early Friday between Queensland’s Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast.

The first cyclone to hit the state’s south-east since 1974, Alfred was predicted to trigger heavy rain, flash flooding, destructive winds and storm surges.

Evacuations had begun at South Stradbroke Island, with damaging winds and rain to be felt along the south-east Queensland and northern NSW coasts as early as Wednesday night.

“If you are in a storm tide zone or if you’re in an area where you know there’s riverine flooding, you really need to consider and think about your evacuation plan now,” Crisafulli said on Wednesday, urging people to consider staying with friends or family.

Brisbane authorities warned that 20,000 properties could be hit by storm surges or flooding.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who flew to Brisbane on Tuesday afternoon, said the Australian Defence Force was engaged to provide support.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned the category 2 storm could intensify to a low-end category 3 before making landfall, although that was a low possibility.

Destructive winds of up to 150km/h and isolated rainfall totals of 800 millimetres were forecast across the coming days, with 90km/h wind gusts expected.

As of 1pm on Wednesday, the cyclone was 335 kilometres east of Brisbane, moving towards the coast about 16km/h.

Bureau of Meteorology Brisbane manager Matthew Collopy said damaging winds of up to 90km/h may develop later in the day.

An updated track map showed Alfred’s path crossing Brisbane on Friday morning.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner issued an alert on Tuesday evening saying the 20,000 properties could experience anything from minor inundation in their yards to significant flooding inside homes.

People fill sandbags on Wednesday in Tugun at the Gold Coast.Credit: Getty Images

“According to the modelling, areas most at risk include Nudgee Beach, Brighton, Windsor, Ashgrove, Morningside and Rocklea,” Schrinner said, adding that the weather bureau was forecasting storm surges from Thursday onwards.

He urged residents to stay home on Thursday and Friday, and avoid driving. A cyclone refuge centre would be set up at the RNA showgrounds in Bowen Hills for people unable to stay with family or friends.

Queensland Rail said trains would be suspended from the last service on Wednesday night.

More than 600 schools would be closed on Thursday and Friday in the areas expected to be hit by the cyclone.

Daily rainfall totals would be between 200 and 400 millimetres across the south-east, causing totals of more than 800 millimetres, the weather bureau’s Collopy said.

He said the cyclone was expected to remain in the higher end of a category 2 as it approached, but there was a small percentage of modelling that did alert to the risk of it strengthening further.

Acting Police Commissioner Shane Chelepy said he had put in pre-emptive disaster declarations on Wednesday for areas between Noosa and the Gold Coast, to allow emergency services to control the movements of people in and out of the disaster areas.

Emergency services and authorities were working with the added complication of the cyclone approaching during high tide.

“The modelling the councils are doing at the moment is to factor in a storm surge over and above what the high tide is,” Crisafulli said on Tuesday afternoon.

In light of a seven-metre wave off North Stradbroke Island, Crisafulli said Cyclone Alfred was a serious system.

Residents across the south-east, including Brisbane and the Gold and Sunshine coasts, continued to join hours-long queues for sandbags for their homes and businesses late into Tuesday. More than 400 police recruits were being made available to doorknock homes to help residents prepare.

The Port of Brisbane was closed to freight, while Brisbane Airport remained on high alert, with the possibility of flights being rescheduled or cancelled due to destructive winds.

Residents collect sandbags from a council depot on Bribie Island.Credit: Dan Peled

The bureau earlier advised stronger winds would be closer to the system’s centre, so some areas would be worse hit than others.

Gold Coast Acting Mayor Donna Gates said on Tuesday the city was preparing for a worst-case scenario, with a disaster flood risk map showing some suburbs could be significantly affected, including parts of Surfers Paradise, Elanora and Paradise Point.

The bureau has been forecasting intense winds on the southern side of Cyclone Alfred. On Wednesday morning, power outages were already beginning on parts of the Gold Coast, including Springbrook and Currumbin Valley, due to wind damage.

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