Cyclone Alfred may have been downgraded to a tropical low by the time he hit the 4017 last month, but he still managed to pack quite a punch.
With heavy rainfall and Category 1 winds resulting in localised flooding, power outages and trees down, it was a wild weekend.
And yet, the weather was no match for the bayside’s community spirit.
Sandgate Uniting Church opened its doors to locals needing somewhere to stay.
Pastor Margaret Niethe said the support from other Sandgate organisations was “incredible” and everyone who evacuated to the church was in “good spirits” throughout.
“We opened the church at 8am on the Thursday morning, and we had people there right through until the following Monday morning,” she said.
“As a church, we just wanted to reach out with compassion, and there were church members who volunteered their time – it reminded me of the story of the Good Samaritan.
“We had help and support from Cr Jared Cassidy’s office, (State MP) Bisma Asif’s office; the owners of the Friends and Flowers café sent over an amazing box of Turkish sandwiches we could toast, it was an amazing gift.
“Susan at SANDBAG was a big support to me personally and to our efforts.
“We’ve got some substance in this community.”
Social media played a vital role in keeping residents updated, and for Kamini Graham, who administers the Boondall Neighbours and Community Facebook page, it was a busy time.
“It’s about helping each other and consistently sharing good information,” she said.
“I know at least two houses where we were able to help people and prevent them from flooding.
“This was an event where things could have gone really badly for our community, but what shone through for me was people offering a hand, offering information.
“We’ve had new people move into the suburb, who maybe weren’t here during 2022, and needed help on what to do during flooding, or just needed help with food or nappies.
“There’s a sense of community here, and this page helps bring people together. Our community has gotten stronger.”
Local sporting groups also offered a helping hand, with the Northside Wizards Basketball club opening their facilities to anyone needing a warm shower or a space to charge their phones.
Sandgate café Capulet and Co managed to open on the Saturday, the morning after the cyclone, to the joy of many locals who were in desperate need of a caffeine fix.
Calls for Better Preparedness and Funding
State MP for Sandgate, Bisma Asif – who had to evacuate from her own home during the storm – said power outages were a big concern for locals.
“At the highest point, we had just under 4000 households without power across multiple outages,” she said.
“In the lead up to this event, I spoke with a lot of people who had concerns about evacuation points and how to get support and after what happened here in 2022, there was a lot of anxiety about that.”
Ms Asif added she was inspired by the sense of community.
“Seeing people reaching out, offering help, offering generators, offering to move furniture to higher ground in people’s homes – it was really amazing,” she said.
“In Fitzgibbon, the community centre was opened by residents as a community run place to go for safety or to keep devices charged.
“As we go into recovery, we need to look at what our response will be if or when this happens again.”
She said concerns about sandbag locations and a promised SES depot at Bracken Ridge were issues she would be following up on.
Those concerns were echoed by Deagon Ward Councillor Jared Cassidy, who impressed the 4017 with constant social media updates during the weather event.
“In the summers following the 2022 floods, Council’s stockpile of sandbags has been as big as 150,000, but there were only 100,000 available before the cyclone,” Cr Cassidy said.
“The capacity at Council’s depots is far short of demand these days, and we saw a good solution with self-filling bags available at satellite locations. I think going forward, this needs to be planned and delivered with better coordination.
“More ongoing maintenance will also better prepare the community too.
“I had confirmation that drainage maintenance budgets were fully expended in the weeks before the cyclone hit. We were able to get a few extra jobs done to clear drains, but clearly, more funding needs to go into proactive maintenance.
“We definitely need to see an SES depot located at Bracken Ridge to service the outer northside suburbs. This will assist with sandbag distribution and support on the ground.
“We need to formalise places of refuge rather than leaving that entirely to the community. I hope there is a formal review within Council that will learn from this experience.”
Cr Cassidy added he was grateful to the council workers who put in 12- and 13-hour days filling sandbags in the lead-up to the event and helping with the clean-up afterwards.
“I had many sleepless nights but am so glad we missed the worst of what was predicted and am also proud to see the community coming together supporting each other again in times of need,” he said.
“We’ve proven time and again that the best support you can have in a crisis are those people around you. We live in a special community.”
Bracken Ridge Ward Councillor Sandy Landers said she was proud of the way the community rallied together to help each other.
“Even before the wind and rain, I had residents and our Bracken Ridge Lions volunteers offering to assist where needed,” she said.
“The Lord Mayor’s ‘ute army’ has given us the ability to connect the people in need of assistance with the people who are ready to help.
“It never ceases to amaze me how our community responds, and I feel so very lucky to be part of it. I was really proud of how the community prepared and the way neighbours and friends were ensuring everyone was safe, particularly when I checked in on residents who were flooded in 2022.”
Read more stories from the Sandgate Guide print magazine here:
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- Manage Your Passwords Effectively
- They Also Serve…
- Noisy Visitors From The North
- Art An Easter Sweet Treat
- Childhood Friends Skip To Glory At World Jump Rope Championships
- Share The Dignity Toasts 10 Years Of Impact And Gratitude
- Local Youth Collecting 50,000 Cans For Cape Town
- Drainage Funding Top Of Wish List For Deagon Ward
- Local Author To Release Two Hilarious New Children’s Books
- How You Can Help The Environment
- Meet Australia’s Wildest Stars
- Syd Signals Start Of Anzac Day
- Celebrating 25 Years Of Artrageous Creativity And Community
- King Of Atlantis Rev Up For Charity Ride
- Shoes, Books And Breakfast Initiative To Support Local Kids
- Organic Gardening In April
- Choose Bob At Brisbane Comedy Festival
- Things To Do Around Sandgate For Easter
