Dear Neighbours,

It’s official: Tropical Cyclone (TC) Alfred has changed directions and is now heading towards the coast.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) has officially issued a cyclone warning for Double Island Point in Queensland to Yamba in New South Wales, including Brisbane. Now is the time to make sure your household is prepared to weather the storm.

Cyclones are erratic which means it’s hard to know exactly how hard we will be hit. So it’s important to make sure we prepare for the worst even as we hope for the best.

The latest reports indicate TC Alfred will make landfall in the northern suburbs of Brisbane late Thursday night or early Friday morning. It’s expected to be a Category 2 cyclone with the most intense winds and rains hitting on the southern side of the cyclone.

There is a lot of information in this email. It’s all important, so please make sure to read to the end!

What should I prepare for?

Cyclones are massive weather systems that intensify over several days. There will be severe winds, heavy rain, and flooding. There may be storm surges and storm tides near the river, creeks, and waterways.

Winds can be powerful enough to cause extensive property damage. Any loose items in your yard or balcony could be picked up and turned into projectiles - even heavy tables or couches.

We need to be prepared for power failure and to survive without power for several days.

Will the roads be open during the cyclone?

We strongly encourage you to avoid any unnecessary travel once the cyclone hits. Once wind speeds go above 90km/hr all bridges in Brisbane will be closed.

Will public transport be cancelled?

All CityCat and Cross River Ferries are cancelled until further notice. We expect buses and trains to be cancelled in the near future. All public transport will be cancelled during the cyclone.

What will happen with bin collection?

Rubbish collection will be restricted to red bins only on Wednesday 5 March and suspended entirely from Thursday 6 March. Any residents who are due for scheduled rubbish collection on Wednesday 5 March should only put their red bin out. 

Council is making the decision to prioritise red top bins to ensure collections can occur before expected high winds. Citywide bin collection will stop from Thursday until further notice. Residents should bring in and secure all bins as soon as possible.

Will the Gabba Ward Office be open?

The Gabba Ward Office will be open as usual on Wednesday. The physical office will be shut Thursday and Friday, with staff working from home as long as electricity permits. We hope to reopen the office on Monday presuming it is safe to do so.

Will other Council facilities be open?

All Council libraries and community halls will be closed from Thursday. More details available here.

What if I have green waste to dispose of?

Council Resource Recovery Centres are currently open from 6:30am to 8:45pm. Green Waste disposal is currently free of charge. If you have gutters to clean or trees to trim, now is the time to do it!

What radio station will have emergency information?

For Brisbane, 612AM radio has been designated to broadcast regular warning throughout the cyclone.

How do I prepare my house or apartment?

There are steps you can take to make sure your home is prepared to weather TC Alfred. The rains will hit from Wednesday so the best time to act is now!

• Secure any loose items in your yard and balcony. Everything should either be tied down or moved inside.
• Check the condition of your roof and gutters.
  • Clean out gutters
  • Trim overhanging branches
  • Repair any broken seals.
• Consider taping up windows on the inside with plastic - this is to help prevent water leaks, not protect windows from damage. Particularly important for those living in houses built before 1970 when window standards were laxer.
• Consider sandbagging your home if you are at risk of flooding or storm surges. This video explains how to use sandbags properly.
• Put fuel in your vehicle so you are ready to evacuate if required. Park it in a sheltered area away from trees, powerlines and waterways. Consider moving your vehicle to higher ground if your street or garage can flood.
• Consider boarding up exposed windows, doors, or weep holes. Only do this if the board can be properly secured from the outside - otherwise it risks becoming a dangerous projectile.
• Fill buckets and a bath with clean water in case of interruptions to water supply. Toilets won’t flush if the water is off, so use bathwater.
• Prepare to sandbag internal drains and toilets to prevent sewage backflow.
• Be ready to disconnect or shut down your gas, electricity, solar power and water services if needed.
• If you have insurance, take photos of the inside and outside of your home before the cyclone hits. This will be very helpful when navigating insurance claims.
• There’s a good chance EFTPOS and ATMs will be down for days following the cyclone. Take cash out in advance if you can.
• Make sure you introduce yourself to your neighbours and ideally swap phone numbers with each other.

What should I do when the cyclone hits?

The current best advice is to prepare to shelter in place while the cyclone passes. You should make sure any preparations are completed well before the cyclone hits.

• Keep your windows closed at all times. Opening windows during a cyclone event can cause a pressure imbalance which blows your roof off.
• It will rain horizontally during the cyclone, so expect water to come under the door and places where it usually wouldn’t. Use old towels to plug any gaps.
• Make sure any delicate appliances are plugged into surge protected power boards. Consider unplugging devices such as TVs or gaming consoles. Keep fridges plugged in.
• Find the strongest and safest room in your house, which should be away from big windows, in a bathroom, walk-in wardrobe or hallway.
• Stay away from windows and glass doors. You do not want to get hit by a projectile or shattered glass if the window breaks.
• You should be sheltering in a small room so avoid using gas burners, generators or candles. Using these items in spaces without ventilation increases the risk of fire and could lead to gas poisoning.

How do I make sure I receive urgent updates?

Stay up to date with local alerts through the Brisbane City Council emergency dashboard and sign up for Brisbane severe weather alerts here. 

Sign up for weather alerts from BOM here.

The State Disaster Coordination Centre will send emergency alerts to warn people of dangerous weather and possible severe impacts. The decision to send an emergency alert is based on certainty, severity, timeframe, frequency and action. You do not need to register to receive an emergency alert. Emergency alert messages are sent from: +61 444 444 444. If you receive an emergency alert and want more information, follow the instructions in the message

The ABC also has a live blog with updates about TC Alfred which you can access here.

How can I prepare my children or pets?

Children and fur babies are perceptive, they can pick up on our energy and might understand something is happening. When the cyclone hits, the wind and rain will be very loud which can be distressing.

Birdie and the cyclone is a picture book with a story to help young children understand what’s going on.

For pets, bring them inside and make sure you have enough food and water for five days. Make sure you have a plan for what to do with your pets if you have to evacuate. Noting that pets may not be allowed in evacuation centres unless they are a service animal.

Where can I get sandbags?

Council has created four additional sandbag locations to meet demand. You can find the entire list at this link. Our closest sandbag collection points are Morningside and Camp Hill:

• Morningside - 9 Redfern Street, Morningside (pre-filled bags)
• Camp Hill - Whites Hill Reserve, off Boundary Road (fill your own bags)

I've been continuing to push for a sandbag collection point in the Gabba Ward.

What if I need help preparing my home?

If you are in a life threatening emergency and need help, always call triple zero (000).

If you have a non-life threatening emergency you can call SES for help on 132 500. Some common things that SES volunteers can help with include:

• Roof tarping
• Tree down on property
• Water coming into home
• Sandbagging assistance

Have the evacuation orders changed?

At the time of writing, the advice is still to prepare to weather the cyclone in place. We expect that for the majority of residents the best course of action will be to make your home safe and stay there.

At this stage no evacuation centres have been announced.

If you are a vulnerable individual (medically reliant on power, elderly, unwell, needing support) you may wish to consider relocating. You may wish to arrange accommodation on higher ground with the necessary support. Contact the hospital for medical assistance.

If you are planning to leave the city, do not wait until the last minute. We expect the highways to be heavily congested and you do not want to be caught on the road when the cyclone makes landfall.

Please check in on vulnerable neighbours and friends and offer support if you can.

What do I put in my emergency kit?

You should be prepared to survive without electricity for three days without running water or electricity.

Key items for your emergency kit include:

• Water for three days. 10L drinking water per person at a minimum.
• Non-perishable food for three days.
• Gas powered stove and cooking equipment
• First Aid kit
• Essential medication - ideally a week’s supply of prescription and over the counter medications
• Essential toiletries
• Torch
• Battery powered radio.

Get Ready Queensland has a full emergency kit checklist at this link. There is additional information about emergency kits at this link.

What is being done to support rough sleepers?

On Monday, Max Chandler-Mather and I wrote to the State Housing Minister to request that all people sleeping rough be put up in accommodation. This morning it was confirmed the State government has activated critical support teams to outreach to rough sleepers to put them up in hotels or other accommodation.

What about building sites and e-scooters?

Council has sent a warning to all building sites to ensure their sites are secure. Any item that could become a flying projectile must be secured: including temporary fencing, footpath signage, and corflutes.

Beam and Neuron have been instructed to remove all escooters and ebikes from the streets. We’ve been advised that 80% have already been removed with the remaining 20% off the streets by Thursday.

If you missed my previous update, you can access it here.

In hope,
Trina