It is deja vu for Queensland residents as they work to save property from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred rainfall.

That made it Brisbane's wettest 24-hour period since 314mm fell in the 24 hours to 9am on January 26, 1974 – the year of the devastating Brisbane River floods in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Wanda. It was Brisbane’s 5th-wettest day on record. The heaviest rain day in the city was January 21, 1887, with 465.1mm.

Major developers say the effects of ex-typical cyclone Alfred will exacerbate pent-up workforce shortages and productivity problems that mean every project in South East Queensland already costs 20 per cent more than it should.

Merv Birt has survived cyclones up north, and the devastating floods that swept through Brisbane in 1974, 2011 and 2022. But Alfred was different.

Residents who prepared for the cyclone now have little to do but wait and see how their efforts will pay off against the rising water.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has asked Brisbane residents to work together to set up a “Ute Army” to help with the aftermath of Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

Brisbane is a subtropical city of more than 2.5 million people, situated on a flood-prone river. That’s why residents mustn’t get complacent after Cyclone Alfred.

Dozens of people have been rescued from floods in chaos stretching across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and parts of NSW.

The four large islands off Brisbane are popular getaways for locals. Now, in the wake of ex-tropical cyclone Alfred, they have another claim to fame: as the city’s protectors from extreme weather.

Residents are stacking sandbags to protect low-lying properties ahead of a tropical cyclone that is forecast to become the first in 51 years to hit the Australian east coast near Brisbane, the nation’s third-most populous city.

AMP chief economist Shane Oliver estimated the cost of the storm could be $1.1 billion a day based on the population of affected regions, but that was expected to be a “very short-term impact”. “Then you’ve got this flip side of that, the rebuilding kicks in and that acts as a stimulus,” Oliver said.

The initiative encourages people to use their utes to clear fallen trees, branches, and debris from backyards.