‘History shows this can happen’: Cyclone Alfred is not the first to threaten Brisbane and northern NSW

It is unusual for cyclones to hit the coast of south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales, but it does happen.

Cyclone Alfred is expected to make landfall on the south-east coast of Queensland on Thursday or Friday as a category 2 system.

The last tropical cyclone to cross the south-east Queensland coast was ex-Tropical Cyclone Zoe in 1974, which arrived less than two months after Cyclone Wanda caused the catastrophic 1974 Brisbane floods. Northern New South Wales has not been on cyclone watch since Nancy, which brushed the coast near Byron Bay in 1990.

“It is not unprecedented and I am asking Queenslanders to be ready for it – history shows it can happen,” Premier David Crisafulli said on Monday afternoon.

“We had a category 1 cyclone in 1990 – that was [Nancy] – that came very close to the coast, near the Gold Coast.

“In 1974, we had Zoe which was a category 2, which crossed over Coolangatta. And in 1954, what’s known as the Great Gold Coast Cyclone predated the categories, but long-term residents know how severe that system was.”

Tropical Cyclone Alfred.Credit: Weatherzone

With that in mind, here are some of the cyclones that have hit south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales.

The Great Brisbane Flood

The weather bureau began naming cyclones in 1963, but before that, there were several cyclones recorded.

In January 1887 gale-force winds and heavy rains inundated the south-east corner, with buildings at Sandgate washed away, and 70 people reported dead.

Across late January and February 1893, no less than five cyclones crossed the south-east and central Queensland coasts, sparking the Great Flood of Brisbane.

The remains of the SS Dicky at Caloundra.

Several ships were wrecked, including the SS Dicky in Caloundra, while the Victoria Bridge, Indooroopilly railway bridge and Mary River Bridge were all dramatically washed away.

A cyclone-induced tornado was also reported over Moreton Bay, which lifted boats from the water and levelled houses. Between 25 and 35 people were reportedly killed.

The Great Gold Coast Cyclone: February 20, 1954

In 1954, the “Great Gold Coast Cyclone” crossed at Coolangatta and Tweed Heads, heavily damaging buildings across the Sunshine Coast, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast. Floods were reported across the south-east and northern NSW.

Two-metre-high waves hit the Gold Coast Highway at Coolangatta, sweeping away cars, although the worst of the flooding happened in the Richmond River affecting Lismore. Up to 30 people were killed in the floods.

Cyclone Dora and Cyclone Daisy

In the 1970s several cyclones touched down in Queensland, including Dora in 1971, which made landfall at Redcliffe just north of Brisbane, and Daisy in 1972, which hit K’gari (formerly Fraser Island).

The old Hornibrook Bridge, which connected Clontarf Point to Brighton, amid heavy surf as Cyclone Dora bore down on Redcliffe in 1971.Credit: Lost Brisbane / Facebook

Cyclone Wanda: January 24, 1974

Cyclone Wanda – the cause of Brisbane’s historic 1974 floods – crossed the Queensland coast near Maryborough and Hervey Bay.

Brisbane’s 1974 floods - the result of Cyclone Wanda.Credit: Fairfax Media

A wet spring had turned into a wetter summer, with three weeks of soaking rain leading up to the Australia Day weekend in 1974. On January 24, Cyclone Wanda crossed the Queensland coast.

Wanda was a weak system, but the monsoonal trough she drew behind her was enough to dump 642 millimetres of rain over Brisbane in just three days.

More than 13,500 homes were flooded in Brisbane, while thousands more were inundated in Ipswich. The disaster caused 16 deaths and left 8000 people homeless.

Brisbane’s 1974 floods: Houses under water in Yeronga on January 29, 1974.Credit: George Lipman

Cyclone Zoe: March 6, 1974

Less than two months after Wanda, Cyclone Zoe arrived. She crossed right on the Queensland/NSW border at Coolangatta and Tweed Heads. Brisbane was flooded again, although major flooding occurred further south in northern NSW with thousands of people evacuated in Murwillumbah and Lismore. Landslides cut the main rail line in four places between Casino and Coffs Harbour.

The path of Cyclone Zoe which crossed the coast at Coolangatta and Tweed Heads. Credit: Bureau of Meteorology

Cyclone Nancy: February 2, 1990

In February 1990, Cyclone Nancy brushed northern NSW around Byron Bay. Nancy had lingered off the coast of Brisbane, moving slowly and dumping rain over the city, before shifting south.

Even though Nancy never made landfall, she dumped 530 millimetres of rain in just 24 hours on Brisbane and the northern NSW coast, causing flash flooding. Four people drowned. The clean-up effort cost about $33 million at the time.

Cyclone Nancy did not make landfall, but came incredibly close to the coast around Brisbane and Byron Bay.Credit: Bureau of Meteorology

Cyclone Oswald: January 27, 2013

Tropical Cyclone Oswald crossed Queensland’s far north coast in the Gulf of Carpentaria, but then made its presence felt right through the state as it moved south.

The ex-tropical cyclone delivered strong winds and constant rain that isolated parts of Queensland and the northern rivers area of NSW. More than 2000 people were forced from their homes in what was Queensland’s largest mandatory evacuation.

The path of Cyclone Oswald which crossed the far north coast, but caused severe flooding in south-east Queensland. Credit: Bureau of Meteorology

Hundreds of residents in North Bundaberg were plucked from their roofs by helicopters. Bundaberg Base Hospital was also evacuated, with 123 patients loaded into planes, helicopters, and ambulances.

Seven people died, including a three-year-old boy, who was hit by a falling gum tree while watching the floodwater rise from the Kedron Brook bikeway in Brisbane’s north with his parents.

Cyclone Debbie: March 30, 2017

It is far more common for a cyclone to cross Queensland’s north coast – north of the Tropic of Capricorn – and then travel south as a destructive tropical low storm. This occurred with Cyclone Debbie in 2017.

Striking the state’s north as a category 4 system, Cyclone Debbie delivered winds of up to 260km/h, shaking homes, shattering walls, felling powerlines and leaving more than 45,000 customers without power. Hamilton Island, Airlie Beach and Bowen were among the areas hardest hit.

Pelting rain from ex-cyclone Debbie flooded Brisbane.Credit: Glenn Hunt

Although Debbie weakened as she moved south, the storm delivered pelting rain and strong winds to south-east Queensland.

Hundreds of streets were closed in flash floods throughout Brisbane, the Sunshine Coast, Ipswich and the Gold Coast. Almost 93,000 homes and businesses in the region lost power.

Rain from ex-cyclone Debbie flooding Windsor.Credit: Glenn Hunt

Beaches along 600 kilometres of coastline, Gold Coast theme parks, university campuses, the Queensland Museum, Gallery of Modern Art and many shops were closed, flights were delayed or cancelled into Brisbane Airport and all criminal matters at Brisbane’s Supreme and District courts were adjourned.

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