Channel Nine star Leila McKinnon has been stocking up on essential household items in preparation for Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which is set to pummel south-east Queensland and northern NSW.
On Tuesday, the A Current Affair presenter, who resides in Byron Bay with her husband David Gyngell and their children, revealed her emergency purchases as she braced for the tropical cyclone’s impact.
One showed a large tub filled with emergency torches and long-life batteries.
Another captured the surprising item she has in bulk – bottles of expensive premium whisky.
She also shared a photo of the nearly empty fruit section at her local supermarket with one particular item almost cleared out.
‘I did a Cyclone Alfred panic shop. It seems we have all decided we are not facing Alf without bananas,’ she wrote.
Channel Nine star Leila McKinnon has been stocking up on essential household items in preparation for Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which is set to pummel south-east Queensland and northern NSW
On Tuesday, the A Current Affair presenter, who resides in Byron Bay with her husband David Gyngell and their children, revealed her emergency purchases as she braced for the tropical cyclone’s impact
Millions of residents in two states are stocking up on tinned food, toilet paper and bottled water as the wildest cyclone in living memory bears down on them, with warnings it could be ‘a real-life nightmare’.
The populations of south-east Queensland and north-east NSW, who are in the direct firing line of Tropical Cyclone Alfred, have been told to prepare their properties before it makes landfall in the coming days.
The cyclone is expected to cross anywhere from Bundaberg in Queensland to northern NSW on Thursday as a category two system, bringing up to 600mm of rain.
Residents have been urged to stay vigilant, pay attention to warnings and prepare for a cyclone so rare in that part of Australia that it is 33 years since the last one hit.
Flood watches and erosion warnings have been issued for coastal areas, with record high 14metre waves recorded off Wide Bay in Queensland on Sunday and the possibility that AFL and NRL games could be affected.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said residents should do ‘everything they can’ including having tinned food, making an emergency kit, gathering up passports and clearing debris from properties.
The state government has asked telecommunication companies to increase network capacity to cope with an expected jump in internet usage and millions of messages throughout the emergency.
Another captured the surprising item she has in bulk – bottles of expensive premium whisky
She also shared a photo of the nearly empty fruit section at her local supermarket with one particular item almost cleared out
Many homes in south-east Queensland are not built to withstand cyclones as they are infrequent in that part of the state and Mr Crisafulli urged residents to listen to warnings from authorities.
‘This part of the state has had its fair share of flooding challenges and has responded well. I genuinely believe that people will heed warnings and will do the right thing,’ he said.
The cyclone coincides with the AFL season opener in Brisbane between the Geelong Cats and Brisbane Lions on Thursday, while a day later the NRL’s Dolphins and Rabbitohs are set to go head to head at Suncorp Stadium.
‘We will give all sports the information they need, they’ll make their own call,’ Mr Crisafulli said.
An AFL spokesman said the league will monitor the situation over the coming days and adhere to government advice.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said many residents there had never experienced a cyclone before as he stressed the ‘very real threat’ to south-eastern Queensland.
SES NSW urged residents to prepare for damaging winds, large surf and heavy rainfall with major riverine and flash flooding expected from Wednesday.
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