Millions of residents across Queensland and New South Wales are preparing for wild weather with the centre of the Category 2 tropical cyclone expected to make landfall early on Saturday.
More than 1 million sandbags have been readied in anticipation of floods, hundreds of international and domestic flights have been cancelled and evacuation centres have been set up along the coast.
Brisbane resident Kathryn Smit, formerly of Alexandra, said supermarket shelves were bare and schools and workplaces were closed across
the city.
"Everyone’s been shopping, there was no water in the supermarket from [about] Tuesday lunchtime, there’s no bread, there’s hardly any tins, everyone’s just kind of all over the place.
"The weather’s just been really weird as well, which I think is just adding to it."
Strong winds and sporadic rain had buffeted the city all week and while storms were common, a cyclone was intimidating, she said.
"I think people are more worried about things flooding and not being able to get to where they need to go."
Miss Smit worked in a Fulton Hogan road surfacing crew and while workers had been sent home, they had been told to prepare for emergency works to clear roads and drains.
The Australian Bureau of Meteorology has warned residents to prepare for intense rainfall, flash-floods and damaging wind gusts up to 155kmh.
Miss Smit said while some residents were downplaying the danger, others, including her and her flatmates, were not taking any risks.
"We’re not in an evacuation order, but we’re just choosing to leave because we just live right next to the river," she said.
Their belongings had been moved to the second storey and she was staying with her boyfriend’s family.
"We’re getting everything ready. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best, I think."
