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Tropical Cyclone Alfred: 20,000 Brisbane homes could be flooded Tropical Cyclone Alfred: Queensland evacuations begin as storm path tracks towards Brisbane
(about 3 hours later)
Beachside and low-lying suburbs most at risk, city council flood map shows, when category-two storm hits coast Up to 20,000 homes could be flooded, with beachside and low-lying suburbs most at risk, city council flood map shows
Authorities in Brisbane say 20,000 properties in the city are at risk of inundation by storm surge or flooding as Tropical Cyclone Alfred continues its ominous track towards the populated south-east Queensland coast. Queensland authorities are advising some residents to leave coastal properties in the path of Tropical Cyclone Alfred, amid warnings that a storm surge of up to 1 metre higher than typical tides could inundate communities.
Updated tracking maps on Wednesday morning show Alfred maintaining its intensity, speed and likely path to landfall. The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, said Australian Defence Force assets have been placed on standby to respond to the looming storm, which was tracking towards the heavily populated coastline between the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast.
It is still on track to reach the coastline about 1am on Friday somewhere between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane as a category-two storm. The model also shows Alfred potentially crossing just south of Brisbane. Alfred was expected to reach landfall early on Friday morning.
High tides due in the early hours of Friday are a particular concern for those in waterside communities. Schools will be closed and public transport halted from Thursday as preparations continued and forecasters warned that multiple-day rainfall totals could reach 800mm in some areas, particularly to the south of the centre of the cyclone.
Late on Tuesday Brisbane’s lord mayor, Adrian Schrinner, said he had been updated on new modelling that showed “20,000 properties across Brisbane could be impacted by storm surge or flooding”. Updated tracking maps on Wednesday morning showed Alfred maintaining its intensity, speed and likely path to landfall.
It was on track to reach the coastline about 1am on Friday somewhere between the Sunshine Coast and Brisbane as a category 2 storm. The model also showed Alfred potentially crossing just south of Brisbane.
Hundreds of Queensland police recruits have begun doorknocking coastal properties that had been identified by local council flood map modelling as being at risk of inundation from a storm surge. Some of these residents will be advised to head to evacuation centres, which were being opened across the south-east.
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High tides due in the early hours of Friday are a particular concern for those in waterside communities. Matthew Collopy, a senior forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology, said Alfred could bring elevated sea levels of between 25cm and 1 metre above the normal highest tides that people see.
“There is some modelling that indicates it may even be slightly higher than that for locations around the South Bay of Redlands and the Gold Coast,” he said.
“[Wind] gusts up to 90km/h … may develop very later today and into early Thursday, increasing to destructive winds up to 130km/h gusts as Alfred approaches the coast.
Daily rainfall totals of between 200mm and 400mm were predicted.
“This could mean the event totals over 800mm,” Collopy said. “This sort of rainfall is expected to produce life-threatening flash and riverine flooding.”
Brisbane’s lord mayor, Adrian Schrinner, said he had been updated on new modelling that showed “20,000 properties across Brisbane could be impacted by storm surge or flooding”.
“These 20,000 properties could experience anything from minor inundation in their yards to significant flooding inside homes.”“These 20,000 properties could experience anything from minor inundation in their yards to significant flooding inside homes.”
I’ve just been updated on new modelling ahead of Tropical Cyclone Alfred.The modelling shows almost 20,000 properties across Brisbane could be impacted by storm surge or flooding. pic.twitter.com/iWKTiljqxbI’ve just been updated on new modelling ahead of Tropical Cyclone Alfred.The modelling shows almost 20,000 properties across Brisbane could be impacted by storm surge or flooding. pic.twitter.com/iWKTiljqxb
Brisbane – a city of 2.5 million people – has severely flooded three times in 15 years. Brisbane – a city of 2.5 million people – has been severely flooded three times in 15 years.
Schrinner said the areas “most at risk” were beachside communities – including Nudgee Beach and Brighton – and low-lying suburbs near rivers and creeks including Windsor, Ashgrove, Morningside and Rocklea. Schrinner said the areas “most at risk” were beachside communities – including Nudgee Beach and Brighton – and low-lying suburbs near rivers and creeks, including Windsor, Ashgrove, Morningside and Rocklea.
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The Bureau of Meteorology has warned that damaging and destructive winds – a more unusual threat for people in Brisbane – could begin on Wednesday. By Thursday afternoon those gusts could reach 155km/h. The Queensland premier, David Crisafulli, said people in evacuation zones should “make a plan and consider your alternate arrangements in the hours of the days ahead”.
Services are starting to close in Brisbane in the 48 hours before Alfred’s predicted crossing but it was still “business as usual” on Wednesday morning for supermarkets, state schools and other essential services. “If you are not in one of the zones, if you’re not in storm tide zones or one of the riverine flooding areas, the safest place for you is in your home and that’s the vast majority of Queenslanders.”
There have been long queues for sandbags as residents prepare homes for the unusual phenomenon of a tropical cyclone in a large city, outside of the tropics. Albanese announced subsidies that would mean families with children in childcare would not pay fees if centres were closed in the coming days.
The prime minister, Anthony Albanese, is expected to join Queensland authorities at disaster planning meetings from Wednesday. He said the federal government had been assisting with coordination between the New South Wales and Queensland governments.
“There is no Tweed border here,” Albanese said.
“This is not recognised by the cyclone and it certainly should be recognised by government responses.”
There were long queues for sandbags as residents prepared homes for the unusual phenomenon of a tropical cyclone in a large city outside the tropics.
The storm turned back towards the coast, as forecast, on Tuesday afternoon, having moved slowly south from the Coral Sea over about two weeks.The storm turned back towards the coast, as forecast, on Tuesday afternoon, having moved slowly south from the Coral Sea over about two weeks.
“The current forecast has the system intensifying to a high-end category two system prior to landfall on Thursday evening or Friday morning,” the bureau said on Wednesday. “The current forecast has the system intensifying to a high-end category 2 system prior to landfall on Thursday evening or Friday morning,” the bureau said on Wednesday.
“The possibility of the system reaching a low-end category three strength before making landfall cannot be ruled out, but remains a low risk.” “The possibility of the system reaching a low-end category 3 strength before making landfall cannot be ruled out, but remains a low risk.”
The system is moving about 11km/h as it tracks towards the coast. The system was moving about 11km/h as it tracks towards the coast.