Toilet Paper, Bulk Water: Panic Buying Sets in as Residents Brace for First Cyclone in 50 Years

Brisbane shoppers have been buying up in bulk as concerns linger around Cyclone Alfred making landfall later this week.

Sunnybank Hills Coles has been stripped of many items. Photo: Epoch Times / Daniel Teng

Brisbane metropolitan supermarket shelves are being stripped bare as locals brace for a once in a generation cyclone.

While frequent in the north of Queensland, the last time cyclone activity impacted the south-east corner of the state was in 1974, Cyclone Zoe.

Other times it has swept past (Cyclone Nancy in 1990) or was located inland (Cyclone Oswald in 2013).

For residents this time around, preparation seemed to be key.

Bulk water was a hot ticket item, but toilet paper, eggs, milk, meat, baby formula, nappies, torches, batteries, and Eskys were also being snapped up in great numbers.

Facebook page, Brisbane Incident Alerts, shared images of bare shelves at the Brisbane Airport, Capalaba Central, and Camp Hill Woolworths stores, as well as Coles Chermside.

While The Epoch Times visited the Sunnybank Hills Coles and Woolworths stores to find shelves bare for essential items.

Woolworths Monitoring Situation

A Woolworths spokesperson said the company was closing monitoring Cyclone Alfred’s movements, as well as sending additional stock from its Brisbane distribution centre to stores across the Sunshine Coast and Southeast Queensland.

“We will continue to work closely with the local and state governments and authorities to ensure we can continue to support the community,” the spokesperson said.

“As customers prepare for the cyclone, we ask them to be mindful of others in the community and buy only what they need.”

A customer standing before the milk section at a Woolworths store in Sunnybank Hills in Brisbane, Australia on March 3, 2025, as residents prepare for Cyclone Alfred. Daniel Y. Teng/The Epoch Times

Empty grape stand at a Woolworths store in Sunnybank Hills in Brisbane, Australia on March 3, 2025, as residents prepare for Cyclone Alfred. Daniel Y. Teng/The Epoch Times

Coles Started Preparing Early

Meanwhile, a Coles spokesperson said preparations for extra stock started last week.

“As an essential part of communities across South East Queensland, our team are working tirelessly to ensure that our stores are well stocked so we can continue to serve our customers as Cyclone Alfred approaches,” the spokesperson said.

“We have extra deliveries on the roads already, with a focus on boosting our supply of meat, milk, bread, water, canned goods, baby formula, and toilet paper. This preparation began last week, and will continue this week.

“While this is the first cyclone to hit this area in more 50 years, we are well prepared to ensure we can continue serving communities affected by these wild weather events. We will work closely with government and local authorities as the impacts from Cyclone Alfred unfold.”

Bare shelves at a Coles store in Sunnybank Hills in Brisbane, Australia on March 3, 2025, as residents prepare for Cyclone Alfred. Daniel Y. Teng/The Epoch Times

Bare shelves at a Coles store in Sunnybank Hills in Brisbane, Australia on March 3, 2025, as residents prepare for Cyclone Alfred. Daniel Y. Teng/The Epoch Times

Cyclone’s Predicted Reach

Cyclone Alfred is due to make landfall on Mar. 6 or 7, depending on forecasts.

The system is expected to reach the south-east corner of Queensland as a category one cyclone, with the storm potentially stretching over 200 kilometres in width—effectively spanning from the Sunshine Coast to the New South Wales border.

Long queues for checkouts at a Coles store in Sunnybank Hills in Brisbane, Australia on March 3, 2025, as residents prepare for Cyclone Alfred. Daniel Y. Teng/The Epoch Times