The Cyclone centre is expected to cross the coast on the morning of March 8th, with southeastern Queensland and north NSW already feeling the effect.
The $15 million Community Recovery Fund, jointly supported by the Albanese and Minns governments, was established to help the NSW Council recover from the effects of Cyclone Alfred.
Designed for immediate cyclone aid, the fund offers a council of up to $1 million to help assess and deal with damages.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese emphasized the importance of being prepared.
“We are currently providing assistance, but we also have this future support for standby. If we need immediate recovery and cleanup work, we are ready to roll,” he said.
NSW Prime Minister Chris Mins repeated these sentiments, calling the fund the “first stage” and assisting local councils in managing the disaster.
“The council is helping the community prepare for the onslaught, which will help them in the aftermath,” he said.
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The fund supports a variety of important recovery efforts, including immediate cleanup efforts and rehabilitation of critical community infrastructure.
Inclement weather threatens millions in NSW and Queensland
The Cyclone centre is expected to cross the coast on the morning of March 8th, with southeastern Queensland and north NSW already feeling the effect.
Category 2 systems are expected to be strengthened as they reach the coast and nearby islands, increasing potential damage.
Heavy rain has already fallen in the Kitagawa area of NSW, up to 200mm inland from Coffs Port.
These conditions are expected to worsen as the storm progresses. Because coastal areas are at a high risk of damage from floods and storms, authorities have issued evacuation orders for affected areas.
As the cyclone moved south, the evacuation order was extended to Nambukkashire, 400 km south of the Queensland NSW border. Residents in these areas have been warned of rising river levels and increased flood risk.
The blackout affected nearly 76,000 customers in both countries, with around 40,000 customers losing power north of Tweed and another 36,000 borders south.
These outages underline the widespread impact of the storm as the community hampers Cyclone Alfred’s full power.
Flood warnings are in place, evacuation orders are underway, and local governments are continuing to monitor the situation closely and encourage residents to remain vigilant.
