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Residents have been warned to expect more than a month’s rainfall in just six hours as Cyclone Jasper marches across the Far North Queensland coast.
The storm weakened to category 1 last night but was expected to strengthen again before crossing the coast this afternoon, bringing “life-threatening” flash flooding and destructive winds of up to 140km/h to some parts.
Locals well-accustomed to cyclones have been preparing for days, clearing debris and loose items, filling sandbags and yesterday stripping supermarket shelves in Cairns.
The Bureau of Meteorology was expecting Jasper to make landfall somewhere between Port Douglas and Cape Flattery – north of Cairns – about 1pm but warned its effects would likely be felt from early this morning.
At 1am today, the system was about 185 kilometres north-east of Cairns and 395 kilometres north of Townsville, heading north-west at 11km/h.
Cairns, Innisfail, Port Douglas and Wujal Wujal were all in the firing line to cop the worst of the wind, which the bureau warned would likely include “destructive” gusts of up to 140km/h.
Emergency alerts were issued yesterday for Douglas Shire, where residents were urged to take shelter in the strongest part of the building they were in, and Wujal Wujal.
Flooding is also a major concern, with isolated six-hourly rainfall totals between 250 to 300 millimetres likely between Cape Flattery and Port Douglas, where the December average is 214 millimetres. Some daily totals could hit 500 millimetres.
In Cairns, about 25,000 people in the red and orange flood zones were told to prepare to leave and plan to stay with friends or family on higher ground. Evacuation centres were also set up at the Edmonton Storm Tide Cyclone Shelter and Redlynch State College.
Senior meteorologist Laura Boekel said the warning areas could change and urged residents to stay up to date with the bureau’s track map, which updates every three hours.
She said category 2 winds could typically bring down large trees and move large objects that had not been secured.
“It’s important to note that gale-force winds are not just gusts of wind that happen occasionally,” Boekel said.
“They can be consistent and sustained winds, so very strong winds occur at a consistent rate.”
Authorities were preparing long before the storm hit. A pre-emptive disaster declaration was made yesterday for the area between Cape Melville and Townsville, as emergency response teams flew in from Brisbane.
The impending cyclone has also disrupted long-awaited holiday plans.
Several airlines cancelled and rescheduled flights even before Cairns Airport closed at 8pm yesterday.
“Do not come to the airport because the airport terminals will physically be barricaded with sandbags,” chief executive Richard Barker said.
“The runway itself will be available for emergency services but there are no scheduled flights.”
Operators said the airport would stay closed today and promised an update at 6pm.
On the water, just one solitary boat was left in the Cairns marina, as owners fled upstream to shelter.
“They’re all jammed in up the creek in up there so, there’s never been this many boats in the river,” boatie Rod McNeil said.
” … I’m fuelled, water, plenty of noodles, plenty of gas so I’m good to go.”
Queensland Premier-in-waiting Steven Miles reassured residents the state was prepared.
“As you know, Queensland is the most disaster-affected state in Australia, our authorities are well prepared to support Queenslanders through whatever Tropical Cyclone Jasper throws at us,” Miles said yesterday.
Some supermarket shelves in Cairns have been emptied ahead of the cyclone, as residents stock up.
