One person was missing as hundreds of thousands of homes remained without power and communities were at risk of major flooding in eastern Australia on Saturday, following the weakened storm. The storm, formerly known as Tropical Cyclone Alfred, brought heavy rains and dangerous winds. Brisbane, the third-largest city in Australia, narrowly escaped the impact of the storm. However, the slow-churning system combined with high tides led to widespread flooding along the coast in New South Wales. Chris Minns, the state’s premier, stated that crews were searching for a man reported missing in the town of Dorrigo, which received over 10 inches of rain overnight. Minns warned that the emergency was not over, as the rivers were full, rain was ongoing and expected to continue in the coming days, and wind conditions were extreme. The missing man was reportedly driving a car that was swept away by floodwaters. He managed to get out of the car and onto a tree but was overtaken by the floodwaters before emergency workers could reach him. Over 300,000 customers lost power in affected areas. Emergency responders in New South Wales conducted 30 flood rescues in the previous 24 hours, mostly of people who attempted to drive through flooded streets. Dozens of communities in the Northern Rivers region, including parts of Lismore, remained under evacuation orders. Forecasters warned that heavy rainfall could cause floodwaters to overtop levees in Lismore. Mr. Minns announced that officials were preparing for a swift recovery in the aftermath of the storm, including naming a point person to coordinate efforts. In 2022, the authorities’ response to flooding in Lismore was criticized as inadequate and delayed.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/08/world/australia/cyclone-alfred-flooding.html