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Blowing away a cyclone? 1,00,000+ Australians accept the challenge

As cyclone Alfred approached, social media was flooded with videos of Australians using leaf blowers, fans, hairdryers, and even musical instruments to 'push back' the storm.

Queenslanders have joined in by bringing out their leaf blowers. (Photo: via news.com.au)

In a bizarre turn of events, more than 100,000 Australians have rallied behind an unconventional plan to “blow” Cyclone Alfred away, turning a Facebook joke into a viral social media trend. The event, created by Bribie Island resident Emily Sands, called on participants to “work together to blow at Cyclone Alfred to push it back to the ocean.”

Sands told Channel 9’s Today show that she originally invited only 20 friends to the group, but within hours, thousands had joined. “We’ve done the maths. It’s science-backed. We keep blowing Alfred, then he’s hopefully just going to go away,” she joked, reported news.com.au. “If not, then we have our Plan B, and that is to suck Alfred.”

As the cyclone approached, social media was flooded with videos of Australians using leaf blowers, fans, hairdryers, and even musical instruments to “push back” the storm. The Logan Reserve Woolworths even joined in, posting a video of staff members using a leaf blower with the caption: “Here for you.”

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Not just a laughing matter

While many embraced the humour, some criticized the event as inappropriate. One Facebook user called it “super insensitive,” warning that the cyclone could cause significant destruction. “This is a serious event that will most likely cause death and major destruction, very far from a joke,” they wrote, as per news.com.au.

Musical instruments have also become part of the survival strategy. (Photo: via Facebook)

Despite the criticism, the initiative remained overwhelmingly popular, with many Australians praising the community spirit behind it. “Typical Aussie humour,” one commenter wrote. Another joked, “Great job guys, we have delayed the cyclone a whole two days!”

As Cyclone Alfred moved closer, Queenslanders stocked up on essentials and prepared for impact.

(With inputs from Brisbane Times, News.com.au)

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