One state's first cyclone watch in more than three decades has triggered anxiety and painful memories for those living in regions recently ravaged by floods.
Only a few days after the third anniversary of devastating floods that hit northern NSW, residents in Lismore and surrounds have been told to prepare for a repeat inundation when Tropical Cyclone Alfred crosses the Queensland coast.
Damaging wind gusts of up to 120km/h are expected, along with heavy rainfall, swollen rivers and hazardous surf when the cyclone crosses the coast on Thursday evening or Friday morning.
Major flooding is predicted for the Wilsons River, which runs through Lismore, where more than 1500 homes were damaged or destroyed in the 2022 flood.
Joel Renshaw lost his home in the regional town in that record-breaking event and has since moved to higher ground on Lismore's east.
He has been stocking up on bread, milk and toilet paper as hundreds pour into local shopping centres, fearing the cyclone's impact on a region where the scars from the previous flood still run deep.
Mr Renshaw considers himself lucky to have secured public housing while many others in the town are still living in temporary, pod-style accommodation.
"Every time we have an east coast low for three or four days and it rains ... you still have anxiety that sets in and then you start to worry and panic-buy at the shop, and it's just a natural response," the 45-year-old told AAP.
"Everyone is a bit worried about this cyclone ... everyone is taking precautions at the moment because (the flood) is still in the back of your mind."
A cyclone watch is in place for an area spanning from north of Queensland's Sunshine Coast to near Grafton in NSW, about 100km south of Lismore.
It is expected to cross the coast north of Brisbane.
For Lismore Greens councillor and resident Adam Guise, the cyclone could not come at a worse time.
"I'm not intending to stay in my place this time around for the flood like I did the last two occasions," he said.
Mr Guise is close to moving away from the centre of town, which was submerged in the previous floods, and moving into a new property secured through the state's buyback scheme.
"I really feel for Lismore because we were just beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel - the vibrancy in the CBD and people enjoying Lismore again after three years of dragging ourselves out of the mud."
The cyclone was triggering people's anxiety coming so soon after the flood anniversary, Mr Guise said.
Premier Chris Minns said disaster contingency plans were in place and he praised the community's strength in weathering natural disasters.
"The Northern Rivers has gone through hell over the last few years ... they're tougher than anybody, it's a shame they have to go through it again - but they're ready for it," he said.
