1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:03,800 Speaker 1: So we're treking Cyclone Alfred hitting towards Queensland. Four million 2 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:06,840 Speaker 1: people now apparently going to be directly affected. According to 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:09,600 Speaker 1: the latest numbers. A number of towns have already been 4 00:00:09,680 --> 00:00:13,480 Speaker 1: fully evacuated, thousands of without power. Sarah Ingjai is the 5 00:00:13,560 --> 00:00:16,880 Speaker 1: Byron bay Meer. She's with us live. Sarah, hello to you. 6 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 1: You're in a briefing at the moment, so we'll keep 7 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:20,880 Speaker 1: this quick. But what are you expecting. 8 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:24,799 Speaker 2: With a cyclone and we don't usually get them. We 9 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 2: don't know what to expect with the weather. All we 10 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:29,600 Speaker 2: can do is prepare the best we can. But already 11 00:00:29,680 --> 00:00:34,479 Speaker 2: the river's ebulging. The swell is monstrous. We're having, you know, 12 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:38,920 Speaker 2: lots of the sands just being washed away all along, 13 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:42,640 Speaker 2: and lots of erosion. It hasn't even hit us yet 14 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:45,599 Speaker 2: and it hasn't made landfall, and we've had big us 15 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:48,520 Speaker 2: win lots of trees over But really at the moment, 16 00:00:48,560 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 2: it's all about preparing and making sure we're as ready 17 00:00:51,080 --> 00:00:53,520 Speaker 2: as we can be. We do have lots of evacuation 18 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 2: orders for the low lying areas in those coastal communities, 19 00:00:57,720 --> 00:01:01,240 Speaker 2: and that's you know, a big and I guess is 20 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:04,679 Speaker 2: the wind speeds and the potential for trees coming out 21 00:01:04,840 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 2: from that sodden soil and any kind of breaches of 22 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:14,479 Speaker 2: the for those low lying areas close to the sea. 23 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 1: And yeah, because it's slowing down, does that mean that 24 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:19,400 Speaker 1: there's going to be more damage or are you expecting 25 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:20,520 Speaker 1: more damage because of that? 26 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:25,440 Speaker 2: Look, it's really hard to tell it. I have heard 27 00:01:25,480 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 2: that it may slow down to the point that it 28 00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:30,319 Speaker 2: becomes a Category one by the time it makes landfall, 29 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 2: which sounds good at face value, but apparently it can 30 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:36,760 Speaker 2: mean that the rain stays longer, which is just not 31 00:01:36,840 --> 00:01:39,400 Speaker 2: something that we can cope with in our catchments. At 32 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:42,399 Speaker 2: the moment, we do already have power out and a 33 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:45,880 Speaker 2: lot of that won't be able to be fixed until 34 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:49,320 Speaker 2: the event is over, which could be for another you know, 35 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 2: twenty four, forty eight or even seventy two hours. 36 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 1: Is everyone listening to you, Sarah and your instructions or 37 00:01:56,320 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 1: if you've got idiots doing dumb stuff. 38 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 2: Look, there aren't many people on the roads, which is great. 39 00:02:05,720 --> 00:02:09,600 Speaker 2: You know, ultimately we want everyone safe. We want a 40 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:11,840 Speaker 2: zero loss of life is what you want to aim for. 41 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 2: And so when people are going out surfing in monsters swells. 42 00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 2: As fun and amazing as that may be, it's pretty 43 00:02:19,440 --> 00:02:23,960 Speaker 2: frightening because it's so unpredictable out there, and you know, 44 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:28,320 Speaker 2: choppers can't go in to save people. There's no services 45 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 2: people driving through floodwater. We know last time in twenty 46 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:36,520 Speaker 2: twenty two, you know, there were bridges and causeways that 47 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:39,040 Speaker 2: had been completely taken out and you would not have 48 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:41,480 Speaker 2: known if you looked at the water, and you just 49 00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:46,000 Speaker 2: never can tell. So not driving through floodwaters and not 50 00:02:46,160 --> 00:02:51,080 Speaker 2: taking risks, staying inside and bunkering down, I think is 51 00:02:51,120 --> 00:02:53,119 Speaker 2: the best thing that one can do. If you've still 52 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:55,840 Speaker 2: got power, Make yourself a coffee and stick it in 53 00:02:55,880 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 2: a thermos for later downloads of Netflix because you then 54 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 2: need it. 55 00:03:00,680 --> 00:03:02,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, it sounds like it's Sarah, you take care, look 56 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:05,800 Speaker 1: after yourself. Sarah Njai, who's the Byron Bai Meir on 57 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 1: cyclone Alfred. For more from Hither Duplessy Allen Drive, listen 58 00:03:10,080 --> 00:03:13,119 Speaker 1: live to news talks. It'd be from four pm weekdays, 59 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 1: or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.