One person has died, and several others were injured as severe storms lashed Australia’s east coast, bringing heavy rain, flash floods, and widespread power outages.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred, initially expected to make landfall near Brisbane as the first cyclone in 51 years, weakened into a tropical low on Saturday. Despite this, its remnants brought torrential rainfall and destructive winds to Queensland and New South Wales.
“The real threat now is from locally heavy-to-intense rainfall, which may lead to flash and riverine flooding,” said Matt Collopy of the Bureau of Meteorology.
Authorities confirmed that a 61-year-old man drowned in a flooded river near Dorrigo, New South Wales. He was the only fatality among 36 flood rescues carried out in recent days, most involving vehicles trapped in floodwaters.
In New South Wales, two military trucks responding to the crisis rolled over in the town of Tregeagle, injuring 13 defense personnel, six of whom sustained serious injuries, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli reported that 330,000 homes and businesses lost power due to the storm, marking the largest blackout in the state’s history. Meanwhile, New South Wales saw up to 45,000 outages, though tens of thousands of homes were reconnected by Saturday evening.
Authorities continue to monitor rising river levels as flood risks persist in both states.
