<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>339544</docID> <postdate>2025-03-04 05:37:17</postdate> <headline>‘Significant disaster event’: region braces for cyclone</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-339566" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/20250303134723800164-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="601" /></p> <caption>Cyclone Alfred is expected to bring destructive winds, heavy rain, flash flooding and major erosion. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>Laine Clark</strong> in Brisbane</span></p> <p><strong>A "significant disaster event" looms as a tropical cyclone zeros in on a densely populated part of Australia's coast for the first time in 50 years.</strong></p> <p>However, an expert believes time is on southeast Queensland's side as it prepares for Tropical Cyclone Alfred's impact.</p> <p>Alfred is expected to make a U-turn towards Queensland's coast on Tuesday before crossing the coast later in the week, bringing destructive winds, heavy rain, flash flooding and significant coastal erosion.</p> <p>The cyclone is set to hit between Queensland's K'gari (formerly Fraser Island) and the Gold Coast on Thursday or Friday as a category one or two system.</p> <p>The southeast last copped a direct hit in 1974 when Cyclone Zoe crossed at Coolangatta.</p> <p>It came just weeks after Cyclone Wanda had triggered record Brisbane floods that claimed 16 lives.</p> <p>There have been some near misses since with Nancy in 1990 and Oma in 2019.</p> <p>Cyclones may have threatened the southeast before but an expert warned many more people and significant infrastructure would be "in the firing line" Â when Alfred hit.</p> <p>"What we have seen since then (1974) particularly at places like the Gold Coast is a significant amount of development on flood plains and along the coast," Natural Hazards Research Australia CEO Andrew Gissing told AAP.</p> <p>"It could be a significant disaster event. We are right to be taking this seriously."</p> <p>People have been warned to leave or prepare for the worst, sparking panic buying in some areas, while others were busy sandbagging as they bunkered down.</p> <p>But Mr Gissing was confident regions in Alfred's path had enough time to prepare, potentially reducing damage and increasing safety as long as they took the cyclone risk seriously.</p> <p>He said their research after the 2022 floods that devastated Queensland and NSW showed 50 per cent of residents acknowledged that they could have been more prepared.</p> <p>A cyclone watch has been issued from K'gari down to Grafton, NSW.</p> <p>Gale-force winds are expected to develop from Wednesday night, with gusts of more than 90km/h.</p> <p>Damaging surf and abnormally high tides are set to create dangerous beach conditions, flooding and potential significant coastal erosion before Alfred hits from Thursday night.</p> <p>"The effects of Alfred will be felt widespread not just near the actual crossing point," the Bureau of Meteorology's Sarah Scully said.</p> <p>Alfred is set to bring winds strong enough to bring down trees and power lines along with intense rainfall that may lead to "life threatening" flash flooding and a storm surge.</p> <p>Alfred is set to be downgraded to a tropical low by Friday but rain and flooding impacts are expected to continue, possibly into the weekend.</p> <p>Flood watches are current across southeast Queensland and NSW's northeast.</p> </body>