News

See below for all updates on The Salvation Army's response to Cyclone Debbie

9:30 AEST Monday 3^rd April

• Salvation Army Emergency Services team providing meals for SES teams in Mackay, for the next 4 days
• Relief teams from Gladstone have reached Proserpine and Airlie Beach
• Captains Bronwyn and Ashleigh Barkmeyer and volunteers have been sandbagging the Life Community Hall at Slacks Creek as the local Logan River rises
• SAES team at Banora Point High School evacuation centre at Tweed Heads, has been feeding evacuees and emergency services personnel since Thursday
• Many evacuees arrived at Tweed Heads evacuation centre late Saturday night and early Sunday morning

4:30pm AEST 1^st April

• Today two Mackay recovery sites opened and one at Bowen 
• Recovery sites in Cannonvale and Proserpine are expected to be opening, pending access and availability of power 
• Recovery hubs are inter-agency sites set-up by the State Department of Communities, Child Safety and Disabilities and have a multi-agency approach to offering assistance and support to individuals and families impacted by Cyclone Debbie. There will be people from DCCS, Housing, Centrelink, Ergon Energy, The Salvation Army and other agencies across these sites

3:30pm AEST 31^st March

• In Lismore, the SAES team is at the evacuation centre at the Southern Cross University campus serving meals. They served supper last night and breakfast to about 160 people this morning
• The SAES team at Tweed Heads served dinner at the evacuation centre at Banora Point last night and remain on hand to assist
• SAES teams from Bundamba and Ipswich are assisting at the evacuation centre at the showgrounds in Ipswich. They served dinner last night and breakfast and lunch today

3:30pm AEST 30^th March

• Brisbane CBD have been told to evacuate the city with fears of flooding in city and surrounding areas. DHQ has been closed
• General fears of flooding in South QLD
• An evacuation centre has been opened in Ipswich (Ipswich show ground) - SAES has been activated to serve meals
• Authorities looking at trying to fly SAES into Bowen and Airlie beach area/s. Authorities also looking at trying to evacuate those stranded on the islands
• Bowen (and Salvos there) doing it very tough. They have no running water and are cut off from key emergency services

3:00pm AEST 30^th March

• Townsville is sending two emergency vehicles with local officers Andrew Hambleton and Perry Lithgow along with a team of 15 people
• Bowen and Proserpine are without water and power - Food hampers and enough food for around 500 people have been sent  
• Two evacuation centres in Bowen have been flooded and people are being moved

1:30pm AEST 30^th March

• All SAES teams in QLD remain on standby due to roads between Bowen and Townsville being closed
• An SAES catering unit is on stand-by with food for 300 people and is ready for distribution as soon as roads open
• Salvation Army Volunteers have been deployed and are on the ground across Central Queensland and the wider Brisbane area

5:00pm AEST 29^th March

• Salvation Army launches disaster appeal, you can donate to the appeal here
• The Queensland State Government has asked The Salvation Army to play a key role in the Cyclone Debbie emergency response effort by supporting affected communities
• Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has given a $1million contribution to four leading charities, including The Salvation Army to assist with the emergency response
• National disaster partner Woolworths are supporting financially and are accepting donations at their check outs across Australia  

1:30pm AEST 29^th March

• Damage assessments are happening in impacted areas where possible, with emergency teams trying to reach Prosperpine
• SAES teams have been deployed to feed residents in affected communities and to provide meals to emergency services personnel responding to the disaster

7:30am AEST 29^th March

• Cyclone Debbie has now been downgraded to a tropical low system
• Last night our SAES crew was activated again to provide meals at the evacuation shelter
• SAES teams are prepared and ready to go and currently awaiting direction from State SAES coordinators 

2:30pm AEST 28^th March

• Eye of Cyclone Debbie has made landfall on the North Queensland Coast
• SAES teams are ready to provide support as needed
• A team from Towsnville will be deployed once the storm has passed

10:10 am AEST 28^th March

• Mackay Emergency Services team activated this morning; team of 6 served breakfast at the Mackay Primary School
• Emergency Services teams restocked in Rockhampton this morning and travelled to Mackay
• Emotional support being provided in Townsville
• Preparations continuing for community support in aftermath of Cyclone Debbie

8:10 am AEST 28^th March

• Four evacuation centres open in Townsville with Salvation Army on standby to provide food
• Riverway Salvation Army operating as an evacuation centre
• Hampers, food packages and general relief on standby as needed