Alfred raises flood risk as tropical storm whips Australian coast with wind and rain

Cyclone Alfred, which weakened to a tropical low weather system on Saturday, seems to have spared the region the worst of its potential impact.

However, hundreds of thousands of homes in south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales were without power on Sunday, due to fallen trees and downed powerlines, and authorities warned that flooding remained a serious risk.

“The situation … remains very serious due to flash flooding and heavy winds, heavy rainfall, damaging wind gusts, and coastal surf impacts are expected to continue over coming days,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Sunday.

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, NSW 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.

Heavy rain and strong wind

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 230 millimeters (9 inches) of rain in just three 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 – six seriously – in an accident involving two military trucks 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 truck carried 15 passengers and a driver.

Defence Minister Richard Marles said Sunday the officers had been clearing roads of storm debris and were in transit when the incident occurred.

Huge waves

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.”

-CNN