Eastern Australia battles flooding and power outages as Cyclone Alfred weakens |
Hundreds of thousands of residents in eastern Australia remain without electricity after Cyclone Alfred battered the region with heavy rain, strong winds, and widespread flooding. Communities in southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales (NSW) have begun cleanup efforts following the devastation.
Energy providers warn that nearly 290,000 properties still lack power, with outages expected to last for days as crews work to restore services. Emergency services have already responded to over 6,000 calls for assistance.
Authorities confirmed that a 61-year-old man lost his life after being swept away by floodwaters in Dorrigo, northern NSW. Witnesses saw him escape his vehicle and cling to a tree, but rescuers were unable to reach him in time.
In a separate incident, 12 soldiers were injured when their convoy crashed near Lismore, about 200 km south of Brisbane, while en route to assist with rescue operations. Two soldiers remain in serious condition.
Though Cyclone Alfred weakened into a tropical depression before making landfall near Brisbane on Saturday night, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has urged caution, warning that flash flooding, heavy winds, and dangerous surf conditions will persist in the coming days.
“The situation in Queensland and northern New South Wales remains very serious due to flash flooding and heavy winds,” Albanese said.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely, with emergency services conducting multiple rescues of people trapped in vehicles and homes due to rising floodwaters. So far, Queensland police have reported no fatalities or missing persons in the state.
