Scenic Rim residents are preparing for impact as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaches the coast od south-east Queensland.
The devastation caused when a tornado tore through the region on Christmas Day 2023 is still visible in some parts of the Scenic Rim, with many residents remembering how they coped without power, water, safe roads and banking facilities.
A run on supermarkets started days before the predicted landfall of Cyclone Alfred with some shelves stripped of staples including bottled water, eggs, bread and toilet paper.
Scenic Rim Disaster Management Group chair Cr Steve Moriarty joined Deputy Mayor Duncan McInnes on 4 March to video a message to residents to be prepared.
“This cyclone could potentially be really massive,” Cr Moriarty said.
‘We could have devastating winds and a lot of rainfall … major flooding is a real likelihood or possibility over the next few days. I just want you to know we are working very hard with all our stakeholders, all the emergency groups, all the first responders to make sure our community can be as safe as possible.”
Deputy Mayor Duncan McInnes said with advanced warning there had been a lot of preparation undertaken by the Disaster Management Group.
“Hopefully we’ve got another two days before it actually hits here,” he said.
“But there’s plenty of people saying this can be compared to the 1974 flood which was one of the biggest a lot of people have ever seen in the area.
“Will it be bad? We don’t know. It’s a case of preparing for the worst and hoping for the best.
“Council staff are really hard at it there, whether it be sandbagging, having sand available for people to sandbag or whether it’s just getting everything done around the place and we would ask people to take care of themselves and their neighbours and friends too … look after your properties and make sure everything’s done when this does hit.”
Cr Moriarty said the Scenic Rim was used to disaster events.
“We’ve got through things in the past and together we’ll get through this one too,” he said.
“Just make sure you have a What If? plan. The time to start preparing for this is today, not tomorrow, not the next day, not when the wind starts, not when the rain starts, the time to prepare starts now.
“Make sure you do all the those things you need to do to keep you and your family safe. Connect with your neighbours, keep an eye out on the vulnerable people in our community … check up on them, make sure everyone is safe.
“If you need to, get some cash out of the bank in case the power goes down and the ATMs are not working. What are you going to do if communications go down? How are we going to communicate with people?
“Council will be doing everything it can to provide guidance and support throughout this event but it really is up to our residents and ratepayers to act responsibly.”
