Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to bring with it flooding caused by the storm surge that comes as the cyclone approaches the coast, significant rain over a number of days, in addition to destructive and damaging winds.
Heavy to intense rainfall, leading to dangerous flash flooding, is expected from today.
Abnormally high tides will cause flooding and there is likely to be damaging surf.
We can't prevent the storm tides and flooding Tropical Cyclone Alfred will bring, however residents can take steps to reduce storm tide impacts by understanding how they work.
Check your property
Here's how you can understand how storm tides work and how they may affect your property.
Sunshine Coast Council has storm tide mapping for our community to use, informed by the updated 2024 Storm Tide Study.
Storm surge modelling shows almost 1600 properties could be affected if a possible storm surge reaches half a metre above Highest Astronomical Tide. Of those impacted properties, around 200 properties could potentially be impacted with inundation greater than 300mm.
If the storm surge gets to a metre above Highest Astronomical Tide, 4600 properties may be impacted, with around 670 properties potentially impacted with inundation greater than 300mm.
Please review our flood mapping on Council's website to understand the potential impacts on your property.
Head to Council's Disaster Hub to check your property.
The storm tide mapping is available as part of the General Information Mapping Layers on Council's flood mapping.
The updated mapping tool includes storm tide wave action mapping.
This highlights the risk at Golden Beach associated with properties being exposed to this hazard, as a result of the Bribie Island breakthrough.
In other coastal areas that aren't influenced by the breakthrough, the dunes continue to provide protection.
What's a storm tide?
Storm tide is the combined effect of storm surge and normal tide levels. The greatest impact occurs when the peak storm surge coincides with a high tide. A storm surge is a persistent rise above the normal tide level along a shoreline. This is due to strong, onshore winds, sometimes combining with reduced atmospheric pressure. This is typically caused by large scale severe weather events.
There are two types of Storm Tide;
- Inundation which impacts properties located further from the beach front, or close to tidal creeks.
- Wave Action impacts properties closer to the beach front directly exposed to incoming ocean waves.
FAST FACTS
- The Storm Tide Report is available for download on Council's website. Search for 'flood mapping and information'.
- You can also search for Coastal Hazard Adaptation Strategy mapping.
- Updated Disaster Management storm tide hazard mapping is on Council's Disaster Hub.
- The storm tide mapping is available as part of the General Information Mapping Layers on Council's flood mapping.
