How to Prepare for Cyclone Alfred: Mayor Natoli

With Cyclone Alfred expected to make landfall later this week, Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli is urging locals to prepare.

Key points

Mayor Natoli chatted with The Morning Wake-up with Jordana this morning.

“We know from the modeling that the cyclone is expected to turn towards the southeast coast today,” the mayor said.

“So, if that happens… then it is slow moving.”

While authorities are unsure exactly where Alfred will hit, it’s expected to make landfall between the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast.

As the final day before the rain arrives, Mayor Natoli is urging locals to prepare today.

“If this does turn and come across the coast like all of the experts are predicting, then this is why we’re getting ready,” she said, expressing her concern that many people living in the area haven’t experienced a weather event like this before and may not be aware of needed preparations.

“We haven’t seen one down here in my lifetime [where] we’ve had it cross the coast or where people are.

“Today is the last day before we start getting that significant rain.”

According to Mayor Natoli, “we will get a storm surge, we will get the destructive winds and then we will, on top of that get significant rainfall, and that rainfall will be for days… around 200-400mm.”

And of course, rivers and creeks will be impacted.

As the final day before the rain arrives, Mayor Natoli is urging locals to prepare today.

“Make sure you have enough food, water and medication to last a few days, just in case.”

[Today] is the last day before that significant rain comes in, so it’s your day for disaster preparations, really making sure you have an emergency plan, an emergency kit.”

“You might want to check your insurance coverage, clear your gutters, secure that outdoor furniture, the play equipment, your wheelie bins, anything that could be a projectile in those high winds or that might bring down a power line,” she said.

Visit bom.gov.au for the most recent information.

“Then you need to make sure you have enough food, water and medication to last a few days, just in case roads are cut and in case power is cut as well.

“If you’re in a low lying area, sandbags are also something you might want to consider.

Now is not the time to be on the water or out in nature.

“We have 35,000 sandbags with the SES on the Sunshine coast at the moment and 80,000 being delivered as backup as well, so there are lots of sandbags on the Sunshine Coast.”

Locations to grab some sandbags include:

Additionally, Mayor Natoli warns, now is not the time to be on the water or out in nature.

“If you have a boat, the only time you should be on your vessel is to be tying it down, checking your anchorage, making sure it’s safe.

“Campers and caravanners should also be packing up today and moving to a safer location if you don’t need to be in the warning zone.”

Planning is underway for a smooth, timely cleanup operation which will begin as soon as the situation is deemed to be safe.

Planning is underway for a smooth, timely cleanup operation.

“So all of that planning is completely underway as well and it is expected that the cleanup will begin immediately.

“We will have crews, contractors, teams, all of those people as soon as the danger has passed.

“”[This] is a time where in our community we can reach out to each other… this is a Category 2 tropical cyclone that’s heading towards the coast, so we’re very, very grateful that it isn’t a higher category.”

Jordi’s Cyclone Alfred Prep List

Helpful resources

News and updates:

If you need to talk to someone:

For parents:

Local councils:

*Please note, this is not an exhaustive list. Contact your local council for further information.

Stay Safe, Sunshine Coast!

Look out for each other, stay indoors if you can, and be prepared for the storm.

Listen to the full conversation in the player above.

Feature image by CanvaPro