Violent Winds Trigger Evacuations and Power Outages Across Queensland and New South Wales
Australia’s Prime Minister has urged residents along the country’s east coast to “hope for the best, but prepare for the worst” as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaches, bringing destructive winds that have forced mass evacuations and left 80,000 homes without power.
Tropical Cyclone Alfred was located 125 kilometers (78 miles) east of Brisbane on Friday afternoon, moving at a slow pace towards the densely populated coastline. It is expected to make landfall early Saturday, according to government forecasts.
“When nature does its worst, Australians are at our best. We rally. We lift each other up. We look out for our neighbors,” Prime Minister Anthony Albanese told reporters.
Matt Collopy, a manager at the Bureau of Meteorology, stated that the storm is likely to weaken as it approaches Brisbane. “This means destructive winds are unlikely for Brisbane itself, but damaging gusts up to 120 km/h (75 mph) are expected and will develop quickly as the system nears,” he explained.
Al Jazeera’s Sarah Clarke, reporting from Brisbane, noted that the storm’s slow movement has allowed large and densely populated areas to prepare and evacuate. While Brisbane remains calm, conditions on the eastern coast are worsening as the storm approaches, with massive waves reported at the Gold Coast.
In northern New South Wales, State Emergency Service personnel are assisting police in the search for a missing man after the truck he was driving was swept off a bridge, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. The man initially managed to climb a tree near the riverbank but was later seen being carried away by the current and submerged.
Thousands Evacuated and Power Outages
Approximately four million people live in the cyclone’s path, which spans the border between Queensland and New South Wales. Around 80,000 homes across the two states have lost power due to strong winds uprooting trees and damaging power lines. Repair crews are working to restore electricity amid challenging conditions.
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli warned that the storm has already “packed a punch” and conditions will worsen as it moves closer to land on Saturday morning. Images from AFP show a white yacht smashed against rocks after breaking free from its moorings at Point Danger on the Gold Coast. Two people narrowly escaped injury when a large gum tree crashed through the roof of a house in rural Currumbin Valley, according to the Queensland Ambulance Service.
Acting Chief Superintendent Stuart Fisher of the State Emergency Service reported that 19,000 people in New South Wales had been ordered to evacuate by noon or risk being trapped by floodwaters. Lismore, a town devastated by record 14-meter (46-foot) floodwaters in 2022, is of particular concern.
Residents have spent the past three days preparing by fortifying their homes with sandbags, securing loose furniture, and stocking up on food and water. Alfred would be the first cyclone to make landfall in this region since 1974, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.
Researchers have repeatedly warned that climate change increases the risk of natural disasters such as bushfires, floods, and cyclones.
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