As more than 1,000 retirement villages, land lease communities and residential aged care homes work tirelessly to prepare for Tropical Cyclone Alfred to make landfall, the Bureau of Meteorology has updated its forecasts for the Category 2 cyclone, now predicting it will reach Moreton Island by 7pm Friday and Brisbane at 7am Saturday, later than previously predicted.
The cyclone, the first to hit Queensland’s southeast in more than 50 years, is expected to bring heavy rain, flash flooding, storm surges and wind gusts up to 155km per hour.
With cyclones erratic and difficult to predict, the Bureau has warned there is a slight chance that the cyclone could intensify to Category 3 before it makes landfall.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said on Wednesday that aged care homes, as well as health services and those sleeping rough, have been a particular focus for emergency services, who have been reaching out to affected providers and assisting with preparations.
More than 200 millimetres of rain has fallen in parts of northern NSW in the past 24 hours. Bureau of Meteorology senior meteorologist Jane Golding said some areas, including around Mullumbimby, had already received up to 250 millilitres of rain, with gale force winds reaching 50km per hour.
As we reported yesterday, Australia's largest Not For Profit operator Bolton Clarke has 29 aged care homes, 17 retirement villages and more than 2,300 home and community support clients in regions expected to be hit by Alfred.
St Vincent's Care Queensland, which has 12 aged care facilities in the affected area, has agreed to safely care for 11 Indigenous elders who have been evacuated from Nareeba Moopi Moopi Pa Aged Care Hostel on North Stradbroke Island.
