News
11 March, 2025
Hit hard, but the sting is in the tail
THOUSANDS of Moreton Bay residents felt the impacts of ex-tropical cyclone Alfred (ETCA) a day later than predicted, with Category 1 cyclone winds lashing the region on Saturday night, including 105km/h gusts in Redcliffe.
With Category 1 cyclone winds lashing the region on Saturday night, including 105km/h gusts in Redcliffe.
Over 60,000 residents lost power over the weekend with Energex working to restore services this week.
Somerset region also wasn’t safe, with over 200 residents losing power, mainly in the Lowood and Fernvale area, as flooding wreaked havoc in the days after the cyclone made landfall.
Over 700mm of rain was recorded across Moreton Bay on Monday, with Wamuran seeing the most of it, recording 184mm on Monday, along with 58mm on Sunday and 55mm on Saturday.
The D’Aguilar Highway by the Stanley River Bridge near Woodford remains closed as of March 11, due to damage assessment being required after the bridge became submerged on Monday.
In Somerset, North Pine Dam started flood releases at 3am on March 9 and flooding also occurred in the Lockyer Creek catchment.
This comes after many residents in both council areas had a false sense of safety on Friday night and Saturday morning, with many initially claiming they felt “disappointment” for “missing out” on the cyclone’s destructive winds, torrential rain, and storm surges.
“For all of the bluster and talk, that was incredibly disappointing.
No unusual wind.
No unusual rain.
I’d like a refund on that disappointment please,” Somerset resident Christopher wrote on Saturday.
That same night the Moreton Bay region experienced Category 1 winds across the region, followed by extensive flooding in Brisbane, Moreton Bay, Somerset and Sunshine Coast.
This was followed with some residents saying they “weren’t warned” about the high winds on Saturday night or the severe rain that followed on Sunday and Monday, with media and authorities blamed for causing high expectations of the event in the region, and then for not warning residents enough about the aftermath dangers once Alfred crossed land.
“Disappointed with the BOM.
They didn’t forecast the massive storm we had this morning and they said earlier that the rain would stop mostly by lunchtime and yet here we are at 1pm and it’s hammering it down,” one resident wrote on Monday.
“Have completely lost faith in BOM after all this.
Why weren’t any warnings issued about last night’s (Saturday, March 8) winds?
Could have prevented a lot of damage instead of letting us think it was over, not to mention they got the date wrong AGAIN,” another Moreton Bay local said.
Others jumped to the defence of the BOM and media outlets, reminding those who felt “ripped off” that predictions are based on computer models and that mother nature was inherently unpredictable.
“They said a million times ‘hope for the best but prepare for the worst’ just be grateful we didn’t get the worst in Somerset,” Naiomi wrote.
“So many people complaining it fizzled out and they had to stay home for a couple days for nothing.
Easy to say when you live further inland, so the lowest risk anyway.
Hundreds of thousands of homes are without power.”
State Member for Glass House, Andrew Powell, said early preparations meant authorities could act immediately in the aftermath of the storm system.
“Preparation for the Tropical Cyclone commenced more than a week before the weather started to impact South East Queensland, with emergency equipment and crews, as well as power generators pre-positioned to ensure response and recovery could begin without delay,” he said.
“The State Government worked closely with councils to ensure all alerts, warnings and flood mapping information was provided to Queenslanders... as soon as it was available from the BOM.
“We thank Queenslanders for the preparation they did ahead of the wind, waves, rainfall and flooding and for keeping across the latest information as it was available.
This system has been an erratic one, and at every turn we have responded and adapted to it.
“As the focus shifts to recovery, we have the resources on the ground activate crews for washouts, removing fallen trees and clearing roads.”
A BOM spokesperson said a severe weather warning was issued for much of southeast Queensland, including the Moreton Bay area, while the Tropical Cyclone Warning was active.
“This warning was for damaging winds and intense rainfall for much of southeast Queensland, including the Moreton Bay area,” the spokesperson said.
“Once Tropical Cyclone Alfred was downgraded to a tropical low, the warning forecast a continued risk of damaging winds with showers and thunderstorms along the coast including the Moreton Bay coast.
“On Sunday March 9, damaging winds were removed from the Severe Weather Warning, with the risk of heavy to locally intense rainfall continuing until Monday, March 10.
“Significant and widespread impacts to the community from Tropical Cyclone Alfred and its aftermath have been felt in southeast Queensland including prolonged power and telecommunications outages, major flooding and road, school and services closures.”
