Heavy rainfall and flooding damaged homes and vehicles in Australia, with locals even reporting shark sightings in inland canals.
Cyclone Alfred formed over the Coral Sea on Feb. 22, NASA Earth Observatory reported. It intensified for a week offshore causing heavy rainfall along the coast even before making landfall in Australia on March 8.
The cyclone caused widespread flooding and toppled power lines. Local media reported 200 millimeters (7.8 inches) of rainfall in just two hours on the morning of March 9. The Clarence River in New South Wales peaked at 5.7 meters (19 feet) that day.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a televised speech that the situation in Queensland state and the northern part of neighboring New South Wales “remains very serious due to flash-flooding and heavy winds.”
At least one man died after being caught in the floods and several others were injured, including 12 soldiers whose convoy got into an accident on its way to a rescue operation.
Residents had to be rescued from their homes or cars after being trapped in rising floodwaters. The New South Wales Emergency Services received more than 6,000 rescue requests.
Among the worst-hit areas was the Gold Coast in Queensland, which saw its long sandy beaches eroded by the storm and more than 100,000 people left without power. The city’s beaches have been closed due to cyclone debris. Surf Life Saving Queensland operations manager Nathan Fife also cautioned people about the eroded dunes, which can collapse on people, ABC reported.
Local videos of sharks in Gold Coast canals show the extent to which marine life was forced inland from the flooding.
Electricity distributor Energex said more than 300,000 people across the country had lost power, media reported.
Hundreds of schools in the region closed on March 7 and aren’t expected to open until March 11.
Prime Minister Albanese later announced that eligible workers and small businesses, or sole traders, can get income support from the government.
As affected residents recover, authorities have raised concerns about diseases, including tetanus and melioidosis, which are contracted through bacteria in the soil or water.
Michael Clements of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners told ABC that people can get infected through cuts and scratches on their skin.
NASA Earth Observatory noted that Coral Sea cyclones are often difficult to predict as the area frequently experiences “complex winds and weather systems.” The wind moving Alfred was weak, which prolonged its damage to the coast. The Earth Observatory pointed out that “anomalously high sea surface temperatures in the northeast Coral — some of the warmest recorded for the months of January and February” further fueled the cyclone.
Banner image of Cyclone Alfred as it nears the Australian coast, by NASA via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain).
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