How to protect your car from Cyclone Alfred flooding

New South Wales is bracing itself for Cyclone Alfred – the first cyclone to hit the state in 35 years – with residents urged to prepare for damaging gale-force winds and intense rainfall.

With Cyclone Alfred expected to impact Queensland and northern New South Wales in the coming days, authorities are warning drivers not to go through floodwaters.

A cyclone making landfall in NSW is a rare occurrence, with the last time being Tropical Cyclone Nancy in 1990, while Tropical Cyclone Zoe hit the state in 1974.

A watch is currently in place from Sandy Cape near K’Gari/Fraser Island in QLD, down to Coffs Harbour in NSW.

By Thursday and Friday this week, NSW could be hit by winds as high as 100km/h, with widespread rainfall between 100 and 300mm expected too.

With that in mind, how can you protect your car from floodwaters?

Should you ever attempt to drive through floodwater? We explore what you need to know about the extreme weather event.

Drivers attempting to cross submerged roads are the single biggest cause of flood-related deaths in Australia – so the best answer to this question is don’t drive through them at all.

According to Transport for NSW, you should never drive into floodwater and ideally avoid any unnecessary travel whatsoever when it comes to weather events such as a cyclone.

“Drivers in high-risk flood areas should be aware of evacuation routes and be prepared before extreme weather events,” it states on its website.

“During floods, follow the advice of authorities and adjust your route accordingly to avoid driving into danger.”

The Queensland Government also warns that, “Floods can occur almost anywhere in Queensland and can rise over days, or in minutes in a ‘flash flood’.”

It also advises drivers not to be complacent just because they have a ute or four-wheel-drive vehicle.

“Driving into floodwater is the main cause of death in floods. Many of these drivers were in four-wheel-drives and utes. These deaths are also often locals driving on local roads,” it states.

“Floodwater over the road can look still, but can hide fast-flowing water underneath. It can be hard to estimate how deep the water is, or how strong the current can be.

“Water also hides the road surface, which can get washed away and large potholes and cracks can form. An unstable road surface can collapse under the weight of your vehicle.

“The best way to avoid driving in floodwater is to be prepared – that means wait for conditions to improve before heading out. If you have to evacuate, plan the route before you leave, so you know where to go and how to get there safely.”

The Royal Automobile Club of Queensland (RACQ) advises drivers to avoid using the roads and stay home if you can during events such as Cyclone Alfred.

If you have to go out, plan alternative routes to the ones you’d usually take and check the weather forecast before leaving.

The club warns you should never remove a ‘road closed’ sign because the water may be deeper than you think it is, and submerged objects hidden from view could damage your vehicle.

Research conducted by the University of New South Wales has previously found that as little as 15cm of water is enough for a small vehicle to start to float – reducing the driver’s control and endangering anyone in the car. 

“Vehicles that become stranded in water place our VICSES volunteer crews and other responders at risk,” says Tim Wiebusch, Chief Officer Operations. 

The first thing to do, according to Royal Life Saving WA, is to unfasten your seatbelt and open the windows. Then try to climb out through the windows or sunroof. 

If you can reach safe ground and are a confident swimmer, then you can swim to shore. If not, wait on top of your vehicle for help.

The NSW State Emergency Service (SES) is warning residents in Northern NSW to prepare for damaging winds, large surf and heavy rainfall with Tropical Cyclone Alfred expected to cross the coast later this week.  

Major riverine flooding and flash flooding are possible along the Northern Rivers and Mid North Coast from Wednesday through to at least the weekend.  

NSW SES Assistant Commissioner Dean Storey said now was the time for residents to prepare before the worst of the cyclone hits.

“The impacts of the cyclone may be felt from Tuesday with damaging winds, large powerful surf, coastal erosion, followed by intense and heavy rainfall from Wednesday onwards,” he said in a media statement.

“If major flooding occurs, people may be asked to evacuate their homes. We are asking the community to take steps now to ensure that if you are asked to evacuate you have a plan for yourselves, your families and your pets and know where you will go.” 

An emergency kit should include your identification documents, medicines, some water, a torch, mobile phone charger and battery radio.  

If you need assistance during floods call the SES on 132 500. The number is the same regardless of state and you will be directed to the relevant service for that area.

If the situation is life-threatening you should always call 000.

Not exactly, but you can be fined for driving negligently because you went into floodwater or even with a more serious charge if doing so meant someone got hurt or killed.

In December 2022, The Guardian reported that a Sydney man was charged with two counts of manslaughter after allegedly attempting to drive through waters. While he swam to safety, two other passengers lost their lives. 

Police have the power to close a road to traffic during any temporary obstruction or danger under the Road Transport Act 2013. You may be fined up to $2200 if you fail or refuse to comply with the closure. 

Insurance company AAMI advises motorists to avoid driving in flooded areas when it comes to weather events such as a cyclone, and if possible to move your car to higher ground or into a garage.

An alternative, it suggests, could also be a storm and hail car cover. If your car becomes water-damaged, don't attempt to restart it, as you could make the problem worse.

A popular Reddit thread in recent months has revealed one hack you could try to protect your vehicle from flooding.

User CrazyMeerKat324 posted ‘Can wrapping your car like this potentially save it from flood damage?’ – with the accompanying image showing a car wrapped in what is effectively a giant plastic bag.

Would it work, though? User sdee12 said, “If the wrap is sealed, i.e no water is able to enter in direct contact with the car, then yes”.

“Yes. It needs to be wrapped from bottom up with a proper seal on the top. That keeps water out,” Wolfsangel-Dragon agreed.

“Now I have seen everything,” added lpk86.

According to the National Roads and Motorists' Association (NRMA) many water-damaged vehicles will need to be written off and scrapped.

“Modern vehicles can cope with a surprisingly wide range of conditions, but if floodwater has reached the lower levels of the doors before receding, don’t even try to drive it,” it states on its website.

“Water can ruin mechanical components – destroying combustion systems or spoiling lubrication in transmissions – and also electrical systems located in the passenger compartment including airbag computers, which are typically positioned under the front seats.

“A saltwater event is more likely to cause fatal damage to a chassis due to its corrosive properties and is obviously unlikely inland, but freshwater flooding tends to clog cars with mud and silt which increases repair difficulty and cost.”

A born-and-bred newshound, Kathryn has worked her way up through the ranks reporting for, and later editing, two renowned UK regional newspapers and websites, before moving on to join the digital newsdesk of one of the world’s most popular newspapers – The Sun. More recently, she’s done a short stint in PR in the not-for-profit sector, and led the news team at Wheels Media.

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