Brisbane warned to prepare for a direct hit from tropical cyclone

Crisafulli said the south-east was “sadly” well-versed in dealing with flooding events and had always responded well.

“If people stay connected, I’ve got every faith that we can get through the event and, ultimately, it’s people that have to matter, and people that have to come first in this, and preservation of human life is a first priority,” he said.

The premier said he was in touch with telco providers to ensure there was enough bandwidth to communicate with residents, while emergency services, such as the Queensland Fire Department’s swift water rescue teams, were already pre-deploying.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said he had convened the council’s local disaster management group to ensure Brisbane was prepared.

“A cyclone in Brisbane is something many of us have never experienced before, so getting prepared now is the only way to ensure your home, pets and loved ones stay safe,” he said.

Schrinner urged residents to do whatever they could now to prepare by cleaning up yards, trimming branches and securing loose items.

“I’ve also asked council to ensure green waste tipping to our four resource recovery centres is free until further notice to help residents prepare,” he said.

Acting Police Commissioner Shane Chelepy, on just his second day in the role, said emergency services would take advantage of the next couple of days to prepare for the cyclone’s arrival.

“Low-lying areas across the coast – particularly in the south-east corner – that have not experienced these sorts of winds or waves for some considerable time are of most concern,” he said.

“We’ve asked our local government areas to ensure we have clear messaging and plans for those in those low-lying areas to be able to action.”

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Chelepy said residents on some Moreton Bay islands should take particular note of warnings.

“I ask you to think about the risk for you and make a decision as to whether or not you should leave those islands – and when you should leave those islands – because that window to leave the island will close later in the week should this system turn west and head towards the Queensland coast,” he said.

In 1974, category 2 Tropical Cyclone Zoe crossed the coast at Coolangatta, resulting in catastrophic Brisbane floods.