Who is Alfred? As I write this, 20 March 2025, Alfred eventually ran out of steam about 11 or 12 days ago. Alfred died! Go back in time – only 16 days, Alfred was beginning his life. It will become apparent who Alfred is soon.
Alfred is also the name of my grandfather. You would recall, that I wrote about him in, “Somebody I Used to Know – Part Three” – See the link below. His wife always referred to him as Alf. Alf always did what he was told. This will also become apparent soon.
LINK: https://ancestorfamily.com/2023/07/21/somebody-i-use-to-know-part-three/
Beginnings.
The last seven days of February were mostly like the previous days but a twist would begin within four days.
Alfred lives. The warm ocean was inviting. This warmth assists Alfred’s development. Within days, he was a fierce warrior. His movement was irregular. He gained a power of strength.
Everyone was warned that Alfred was on the move and all needed to take notice. Did they? The first weekend of March seemed to be as usual. It was a warm two days, no rain but was windier than usual. If you hadn’t realised, Alfred was a tropical cyclone heading gradually towards the coast but losing intensity.
Monday.
The wind was stronger from the south.
It began to rain. Of course, humidity was in the high 90s.
Even a rainbow made an appearance.
Storm warnings were being broadcast.
Tuesday.
Still raining, still windy but from a different direction. However, Alfred moves further away from the coast but strengthens again. The system appears to be a little North-east of where I live. The forecast now states the system will soon head west. No comment. Preparations build.
The last time I was in a cyclone was back in the 1970s and that was only the tail end. I go online and get details on how to prepare an emergency kit. It’s not from my state but Queensland! I take photos of every room. I get the opportunity to wander down toward the river to view what is happening. It’s a tidal river. The river mouth isn’t too far from where I live.
Wednesday.
At around 8:15 a.m., I drive the car and park on level 2 of the local shopping centre. The car is parked under cover, in the middle, up against an east-facing external wall and a support pylon. This is the car’s home for the next few days. I purchased the final foodstuffs for the emergency kit – extra bread, it goes into the freezer and then taken out when needed. The instructions tell me to have enough water for three days -10 litres per person. The rain is only very light throughout the day but still very windy.
Thursday.
Forecasts advise that Alfred is to cross the coast south of Brisbane sometime very early on Friday. During Thursday the rain increases.
There is a short break in the weather. I go out and check the car. All is okay. Nearly every parking bay on level 2 is taken. The shopping centre is closed until further notice. As the system moves westward, it slows and stalls.
Being on the south side of a cyclone is not the best place to be, the winds will be extreme and the rain very heavy.
Friday.
The forecast for landfall changes to Saturday early morning. Over the past couple of days, I am in touch, via text, with relatives who live not far from me. It’s the waiting that’s the issue.
We joke about our grandfather, Alf – not in a bad way – more to relieve the tension. Alfred, the storm, is now moving at walking pace. Of course, we comment about this as we text. Alfred now does a bit of a circle – we laugh, as we say our grandmother is now demanding that her husband, Alf, makes tea! The wind is more powerful. The rain is coming in horizontally. Fears are that damage may be severe.
On Edge.
Sleepless nights gather as the system slows again with landfall put back further. The entire population of Southeast Queensland is on edge. What will happen? Cyclone Alfred is certainly making his presence felt. Reports had been coming in of massive waves offshore to the height of 12 to 15 meters.
The worst of it all, the cyclone is to hit the coast at high tide causing coastal flooding. Beach erosion is a given.
Rain.
Saturday passes. Extreme amounts of rainfall have fallen over a vast area. Trees are toppled and rivers are rising. It had been raining for nearly a week and there was more to come. Still, Alfred hadn’t run out of steam nor crossed the mainland coastline.
This storm is not what we need. Rain continues to fall. Alfred finally crosses the coast north of Brisbane just after midnight Sunday as a tropical depression. Winds are still strong. The direction changes to roughly coming from the north. Rain is intense through Sunday night into Monday – about 200mm in 24 hours. Nearly 600mm had fallen in eight days. Other locations had more.
Damage.
So Alfred came and went. Our grandfather, Alf, was our way to reduce the tension whilst we waited. Some properties were damaged, many large trees were felled, and branches were strewn everywhere. A large number of people lost power. We didn’t. However, it did flicker a few times. Water did seep in through the windows. The ceilings have water leak stains but overall everything was okay for us. The waiting was the biggest issue with people’s mental health suffering the most.
An unusual adventure. I survived.
These events occurred just about a month ago. The clean-up and the rebuild are never touched by the media. It’s never as exciting as the build-up. It’s like, move right along… nothing to see here.
Here is a hint to the question asked in the “Beginnings”… Did they?
The above is another way to tell part of my story. Get writing your story.
Acknowledgements:
- All photographs and the MP4 are copyrighted. These belong to the author and were taken during the events leading up to the storm, during and after.
- The pic used in the “Beginning” was taken from Pexel.
- The last three photographs: Left (Outside Aldi store in Tweed Mall), Middle (Empty shelves inside Aldi store in Tweed Mall), Right (Tweed River flowing toward the ocean)
Ancestor Family 
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