Communities across North Queensland are battening down the hatches as a tropical low developing off the coast threatens to intensify into the season's first cyclone by Saturday night. The system, which could be named Cyclone Koji, has prompted a high alert from Port Douglas to Airlie Beach.
Communities Rush to Prepare
Wind and rain have already begun lashing the town of Cardwell, situated at the centre of the warning zone. Residents are using their final hours of clearer skies to prepare, with more than 200 tonnes of sand bagged on Friday alone across the region. In Townsville, locals were seen filling sandbags, a familiar ritual for many.
"A lot of people are saying it’s going to come to nothing, but failing to prepare is preparing to fail," one pragmatic resident commented. This sentiment is shared by long-term inhabitants who view this as part of life in the tropics. "I’ve lived up here now for about 15 years, so it’s just the norm. Just being prepared is the way to go for this part of the world," another local explained.
For some, like Elaine and Michael McMillan, the memory of last year's flooding is a powerful motivator. Their local engineering workshop was inundated, leading them to take no chances this time. "We’ve just moved things up off the floor. Anything that could get damaged, we’ve moved as much as possible," they said.
Official Warnings and Deployed Resources
The Bureau of Meteorology indicates the tropical low has a 60 per cent chance of developing into a category one cyclone system by Saturday night. Authorities are warning residents to expect damaging winds reaching up to 95 kilometres per hour and intense rainfall between 250 to 300mm.
With catchments already saturated from weeks of rain, the primary threat is severe and widespread flooding. Queensland Premier Steven Miles and the state’s disaster response team met in Brisbane to coordinate the emergency response. Significant resources have been pre-emptively deployed to the region, including:
- 92 additional police officers
- 35 State Emergency Services personnel
- 79 Queensland Fire and Emergency Services officers
A Stern Warning on Floodwaters
Police have issued a blunt and urgent warning about the dangers of driving through floodwaters. Deputy Commissioner Chris Stream did not mince words, stating, "This is beyond stupidity when you drive into floodwaters. This is negligent activity."
Disaster Management Minister Nikki Boyd emphasised that conditions can change with frightening speed. "Just because the wind’s not blowing right now doesn’t mean it’s not going to be blowing in 24 hours’ time," she warned, echoing concerns voiced by local leaders like Townsville Mayor Nick Dametto.
Authorities also cautioned against relying solely on navigation apps during the severe weather event. "Please don’t use Google Maps as the source of truth. The source of truth are those local people on the ground who are feeding us the information," Boyd added, urging residents to heed official advice and road closures.
As North Queensland holds its breath, the message from emergency services, local government, and seasoned residents is unified: prepare now, stay informed, and never risk driving through floodwaters.
