A slow-moving tropical storm crossed islands off Australia’s heavily populated eastern coast late Friday, lashing coastal suburbs with destructive winds and dumping heavy rain across the region.
Cyclone Alfred, which weakened to a tropical low weather system on Saturday, seems to have spared the region the worst of its potential impact, and while hundreds of thousands of homes were without power, relatively few rescues were required and damage was limited.
However, as rain continued to fall, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese warned Saturday that “there is worse to come in the hours ahead.”
“We’ve done the preparation with you and we’ll be with you through this – that’s the message of my Government. We have your back,” Albanese said to the people of Australia.
Flooding is now considered to be the biggest risk in south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales (NSW), and authorities urged residents to remain vigilant as forecasters predicted heavy rainfall for days to come.
A body believed to be that of a 61-year-old man who was swept into floodwaters Friday afternoon near the town of Dorrigo in NSW was located on Saturday after a wide-scale search, police said.
Images showed severe erosion along some of the area’s most popular tourist beaches. On the Gold Coast, the sea had carved 4- to 6-meter (13- to 19-foot) cliffs into the sand, undermining the foundations of beachside platforms.
Alfred was the most southerly cyclone to threaten the region since Tropical Cyclone Zoe in 1974. The storm’s current strength is equivalent to a tropical depression in the Atlantic basin but its demotion to a tropical low will not alter its overall impact.
Alfred had initially been expected to hit on Thursday night, then Friday morning, and the extra delay raised anxiety levels among residents in an area where cyclones are rare.
By late Friday, the region was ready for the worst Alfred could offer, but over the weekend rain looked set to pose the biggest challenge.
Several flood warnings remain in place for south-east Queensland, and on Sunday morning Hervey Bay, near K’Gari, the World Heritage-listed island off the coast, recorded 150 millimeters (6 inches) of rain in just two hours.
Major rivers in the Northern Rivers region of NSW were also at risk of flooding. Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel, state emergency services and police were pre-positioned in the area before the cyclone’s arrival to ensure a quick response.
Late Saturday, 13 ADF personnel were injured in an accident involving two ADF vehicles near Lismore. One vehicle left the road and rolled several times, while the other tipped on its side while trying to avoid it, according to NSW Police. Each vehicle carried 15 passengers and a driver.
The delay in Alfred’s arrival gave homeowners more time to prepare but also allowed sightseers to view its effects on the coast – including surfers who earlier this week braved waves that by Friday were too dangerous to surf.
Stuart Nettle, the editor of Swellnet, a forecaster service that operates 100 cameras near the coast, said Alfred had produced waves that will be talked about for years.
“The fourth and fifth of March are going to live on in infamy in the memory of Gold Coast surfers,” he said. “Tropical Cyclone Alfred just sat there at the optimum distance and the optimum direction from the Gold Coast and delivered two days of exceptional waves. There’ll be surfers talking about it for a long time to come.”
Few dared to enter the water Friday as waves lashed the coast, prompting warnings from authorities of fines of $10,000 (16,000 Australian dollars) for risky behavior.
Police had stern words for one teenager caught surfing and four others were also reprimanded for putting themselves and others in danger.
“The waves are horrendous, the beaches are hazardous,” said acting Gold Coast City Council Mayor Donna Gates. “Please listen to us and stay away from the beaches. I keep repeating that because somehow, not everyone is listening.”
This story has been updated with additional information. CNN Meteorologist Mary Gilbert contributed reporting.
Source: edition.cnn.com
