What you need to know: Road closures, power outages, supermarkets

How can I report fallen powerlines?

The Energex Emergency line for fallen powerlines is 13 19 62. Be very wary of fallen powerlines, as they may be live.

A power pole down in Ballina, in northern NSW, as Cyclone Alfred approached the coast.Credit: Facebook

Road closures

You can find a list of road closures on the Queensland Traffic website, and you can filter the list by area, as well as “event type”, including hazards and flooding.

All major roads and bridges, including the Gateway Bridge (Sir Leo Hielscher Bridges), will be closed when winds reach speeds of 90km/h.
The Story Bridge footpaths were closed from 5.30pm on Wednesday until further notice.
All RACQ roadside assistance services in south-east Queensland and as far west as Withcott in the Lockyer Valley have been suspended.

A near-deserted Ann Street in Brisbane’s CBD on Friday, ahead of Cyclone Alfred’s arrival.Credit: Dan Peled

Evacuation, cyclone refuge centres

Residents who need to leave their homes are advised to first seek shelter with family or friends. If that is not an option, here are the details of evacuation centres in south-east Queensland.

Brisbane City Council has opened a cyclone refuge centre at the Ekka Showgrounds:

RNA Showgrounds: 600 Gregory Terrace, Bowen Hills.

Two more refuge shelters will open on an as-needs basis:

The Chandler Arena at Sleeman Sports Complex: 757 Tilley Road, Chandler.
Kedron Wavell Services Club: 21 Kittyhawk Drive, Chermside.

The refuge shelters are last-resort short-term facilities to protect people during the predicted peak wind period of the cyclone. The shelters will include only basic amenities and will not have beds, meals or cooking facilities. People are advised to bring their own food. No animals are allowed in these evacuation centres.

In the event of significant flooding, more evacuation centres will be opened.

Gold Coast evacuation centres:

Runaway Bay Indoor Stadium: Sports Drive, Runaway Bay
Nerang Bicentennial Community Centre: 833 Southport Nerang Road, Nerang
Burleigh Waters Community Centre: 111 Christine Avenue, Burleigh Waters

Sunshine Coast evacuation centres:

Nambour Showgrounds: Crossover via Coronation Avenue, Nambour. (Animals are accepted here, but must be kept in crates supplied by their owner. Livestock will be housed in stables onsite.)
Landsborough Sportsground: 15 Tunnel Ridge Road, Landsborough. (No animals accepted.)
Caloundra Indoor Stadium: North Street, Caloundra. (No animals accepted.)

A couple with their young baby seek shelter at an evacuation centre at Runaway Bay.Credit: Dan Peled

What can I do if a construction site is not secured?

Brisbane City Council sent out correspondence to members of the construction industry, requesting they secure their construction sites. If you are aware of any sites which are not properly secured, you can report the issue to Workplace Health and Safety Queensland on 1300 362 128.

Supermarkets

Most supermarkets closed at 2pm (AEST) across south-east Queensland on Thursday and remained closed on Friday.
Woolworths and Coles say they are doing what they can to keep stores open in a bid to help last-minute preparations.
A spokesperson for ALDI said they would “assess the situation as it unfolds” and “keep our stores open for as long as possible”.

Schools and childcare

More than 600 state schools are closed across south-east Queensland, in addition to Catholic and independent schools. It is not known when they will reopen.
Daycare services will continue to receive the childcare subsidy, but fees can be waived for families when centres close, and children will be allowed unlimited absences during the emergency.

Public transport

All public transport in Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Ipswich, Kilcoy, the Lockyer Valley, Logan, Moreton Bay, Noosa, Redlands, Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba is cancelled until further notice.
Brisbane River ferries and Southern Moreton Bay Island ferries are also not running.

Maritime

A red alert has been issued by the Brisbane Regional Harbour Master, meaning no vessels are permitted on the water until further notice.

Hospitals

Elective surgeries have been cancelled, but emergency care in hospitals will continue, with generators in place and health staff sleeping on site.
Queensland Health has confirmed specialist clinicians will be running its ‘Virtual Emergency Care Service’ 24-hours a day to provide care to those who may be unable to access an emergency department.
On-site accommodation is being provided to clinicians in Brisbane hospitals who may be unable to travel to and from work over the coming days to ensure patient care is not disrupted and patients will only be discharged if it is clinically safe to do so.