As Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaches south-east Queensland, Gold Coast residents are recalling the most extreme weather events to hit the city, including devastating cyclones and more recently, a mini tornado.
In the past, cyclones such as the Great Gold Coast Cyclone of 1954, another in 1962, and Tropical Cyclone Wanda in 1974 brought torrential rainfall, leading to widespread flooding.
Local resident Joan Rudd told 9News during one severe rain event the bridge at Nerang rose so high that boats floated over it.
“We had water over our house,” Rudd said.
“You looked down across the coast, and it was water from Nerang to the sea.”
She said army was called in to assist residents in sandbagging the foreshore, and makeshift walls were constructed using crumpled car bodies and old drums.
Despite these efforts, the force of the waves proved challenging, with excavators almost being washed away.
The southern Gold Coast has also been severely affected in the past, with areas like Kirra experiencing significant flooding.
The point at Kirra was built to protect Coolangatta and another groyne was built to stabilise Currumbin from hazardous swell.
In December 2023, a mini tornado struck the city, causing significant damage.
This article was produced with the assistance of 9ExPress.
