Cyclone Alfred to make landfall on Friday affecting much of Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley

Lockyer Valley and Toowoomba residents have 36 hours to prepare for Tropical Cyclone Alfred, as the Queensland Government confirms state schools will shut for two days. READ THE LATEST

Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to impact parts of South East Queensland, which could include the Lockyer Valley and Toowoomba region from Friday.

Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley schools are among the more than 600 schools that will shut on Thursday and Friday, as preparations continue for the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

The Queensland Government confirmed on Wednesday morning that state schools in both local government areas will not be open for the remainder of the week.

Private schools were expected to make their own decisions on whether to close.

St Joseph’s College and Fairholme College were among the schools that had confirmed on social media they would close.

Residents are urged to tidy up their properties now ahead of Cyclone Alfred’s arrival.

The category 2 cyclone is expected to make landfall north of Brisbane, about 7am on Friday, bringing heavy rain and damaging wind.

It will track west slowly with effects being felt in the Lockyer Valley and Darling Downs on Friday afternoon.

Toowoomba Mayor Geoff McDonald said residents have 36 hours to prepare their properties.

“The modelling is suggesting that we see more rain than damaging wind, compared to the towns and cities to the east, but that may change,” he said.

“As a council we are making sure we have water reservoirs full and that we have plenty of fuel for power generation, focused around our water and wastewater facilities.

“We make a decision about closing some of our facilities and sending staff homes based on what the Queensland Government says about school closures, so that parents can be home to care for their children.”

The Local Disaster Management Groups have been stood up for the Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley Local Government Areas and residents are urged to monitor their councils’ disaster dashboards.

Mayor McDonald urged residents to secure any loose items in their yard and pack away anything that could become airborne.

This includes things like wheelie bins, play equipment and outdoor furniture.

“Cleaning gutters and cutting loose limbs off trees are some of the just practical things people can do now to protect their homes,” he said.

Hope for the best

Toowoomba must “prepare for the worse and hope for the best,” said Toowoomba Mayor Geoff McDonald

He said Toowoomba has the advantage of extra time to prepare for the “extraordinary event that’s about to unfold” an announced that community centres will be closed on Friday.

Schools, community halls, libraries, Art galleries, swimming pools, waste collection and customer service centres will all be closed on Friday.

“What we are seeing in Brisbane and coastal areas is quite different to what is predicted to be seen here,” he said.

“The modelling suggests that we may have a one day delay from what we see when it crosses the coast late Thursday or early Friday.

“We have an advantage of time, we have an advantage to be able to see what unfolds.”

The mayor announced that rubbish kerbside rubbish collection and waste services will be suspended on Friday and urged the public to take debris to rubbish facilities on Thursday.

Mr McDonald said there are practical measures individuals can take including filling up your car, making sure your phone is charged, moving wheelie bins to cover, and keeping an emergency kit on hand.

Extreme weather

The Darling Downs is predicted to be struck by damaging wind gusts that could exceed 90km per hour on Friday but the extreme weather event will likely not be classified as a cyclone by the time it hits the Darling Downs, according to BOM meteorologist Dean Narramore.

Cyclone Alfred is anticipated to lower in strength as it moves inland but Toowoomba can still expect between 100 and 200mm of rain over Friday and Saturday while the Lockyer Valley can predict a couple hundred mm of rainfall.

“It will weaken pretty quickly inland and will be below cyclone strength late Friday and will be a tropical low, but it will continue to bring widespread heavy rains and strong and possibly damaging wind, particularly in higher elevated areas,” Mr Narramore said.

The region can expect winds to slow down leading into next week but rain and storms are expected to continue the days following cyclone Alfred.

Bus services cancelled

The Greyhound service between Brisbane and Toowoomba will be cancelled on Thursday and Friday.

Greyhound Australian confirmed the cancellations on Wednesday afternoon.

“This decision does not come lightly, and we are aware this may impact people’s travel plans,” the organisation said in a statement.

“All passengers booked on affected services can choose to move their travel to a new date (subject to availability) free of charge.”

Residents on edge

Grantham today is a town gutted. Where once dozens of houses stood there are now empty blocks, overgrown with weeds.

With each flood, more home owners have taken advantage of land swaps to move their properties away from Sandy Creek.

Apart from two shops, a café and a petrol station, only Karina Darlington and her neighbor remain and she has no plans to move anytime soon.

“We paid $79,000 for our house 32 years ago and today it is only valued at $97,000,” she said.

“You think it would have gone up, but that is the flooding.

“My son and brother use the property for their businesses, and I don’t think we would get a lot for it, being in a flood plain.”

When the last flood came through in 2022, Karina’s father Mick was living in the house with his wife Yvonne. The bottom level was inundated with mud and their garden was washed away.

On Wednesday Karina was taking advantage of the free sand provided by the Lockyer Valley Regional Council to fill some bags and protect her shed.

“I am really concerned, if it rains a lot I won’t be staying,” she said

“I have already moved my mum and dad’s ashes to my son’s place in Gatton, along with our family photos.

“I am hoping that because the ground is dry it will soak up the rain, the creek is also dry, but it doesn’t take much to get a flow. If it rains a lot in Toowoomba we’ll get flooded.

In Withcott, dozens of residents and business owners were filling sandbags in anticipation of Gatton Creek breaking its banks and turning the Toowoomba Connection Road into a raging river.

Brett Oliver owns the Withcott Service Centre and said he was doing his best to protect his equipment.

“Sandbags can only do so much,” he said.

“In the 2011 flood it had poured down for weeks, the ground was sodden and the creeks were flowing, then we got about six inches of rain in two hours and that caused the flood,” he said.

“If we get four or five inches overnight a lot will run off but then what happens on Friday.”

“This cyclone has put a lot of us on edge.”

Evacuation centres | Lockyer Valley

In the event evacuation centres are required over the coming days, Lockyer Valley Regional Council will establish centres at Laidley High School and Gatton Shire Hall.

Where to get sandbags

Bulk sand is being distributed across both Toowoomba and Lockyer Valley councils, though residents have to bring and fill their own bags.

For the Lockyer Valley, bulk sand can be found at the following places:

– Pike Street in Laidley,

– Gatton Showgrounds, access from Woodlands Road

– Forest Hill Recreation Reserve

– Withcott bus interchange car park

– Grantham, behind the Grantham Store

For Toowoomba, can be found at the following places

– Jondaryan: Duke Street, near the steam train.

– Goombungee: In front of SES, 33-35 Cooke Street.

– Pittsworth: Railway St, in front of SES (at Pittsworth Showgrounds).

– Crows Nest: Timber Street, Crows Nest (next to SES).

– Wyreema: Newman Road, Wyreema (on road reserve between Newman Road and Toowoomba Karara Road).

The Southwest SES is on high alert and with reserve volunteers brought in for the west to help in Toowoomba and the Lockyer.

Southwest Area Controller Ian Phips said despite the planning, residents affected by heavy rain and flooding could see a delay from the SES in responding, which is why they need to clear their properties now.

“Our volunteers are going to be in areas that will be impacted, that may reduce their ability to respond,” Mr Phips said

“This is an evolving situation.”

Lockyer Valley deputy mayor Chris Wilson said the next 24-hours will be telling for the region’s disaster management plan, with council monitoring closely monitoring the situation.

“At this stage it’s all about preparation and ensuring residents have supplies for the next couple of days,” he said.

Mr Wilson said council is in the process of updating its modelling, having already identified Laidley and Forest Hill as possible impact areas for flooding.

Aerial footage of flooding in the Lockyer Valley on Sunday, February 27, 2022. Photo: Joe Kluck.

The region’s previous catastrophic floods back in 2022 saw a 400mm deluge and left property debris and shipping containers scattered across parts of Grantham and Gatton.

Local businesses were left in wreck and ruin with major insurer IAG receiving more than 150 claims across Toowoomba and the Lockyer Valley for vehicles, properties and businesses.

Laidley residents have rallied to help one another prepare for the impending tropical cyclone, pre-filling sandbags and donating water and other items.

Having lived in the Lockyer Valley for almost a decade, Sharlie Clerke is well aware of what it’s like to live through major floods.

Dozens of Laidley residents have come in force to help the community prepare ahead of Tropical Cyclone Alfred. Photo: Sharlie Clerke

Ms Clerke said spirits remain intact as the group of almost 40 residents work to fill sandbags for the community, with residents of all ages lending a hand.

“It's always amazing how many people come together during these events, we’ve even had a young boy down here helping us this morning and I’ve got my two kids here helping as well,” she said.

Keep up to date on the Toowoomba Disaster Dashboard at https://disaster.tr.qld.gov.au/

Call 000 in an emergency or 132 500 for SES for assistance in floodwaters or storms.