Severe flooding has wreaked havoc across Queensland and New South Wales, with emergency services conducting dozens of rescues amid record-breaking rainfall. The aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Alfred has left more than 200,000 people<\/strong> without power, as authorities warn of continued flood risks in the coming days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emergency Rescues as Floodwaters Surge<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Floodwaters have inundated vast areas across southeast Queensland and northern NSW, prompting a large-scale emergency response. According to Queensland Fire<\/strong> and Emergency Services (QFES), swift water rescue teams saved at least 35 people trapped in rising waters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One dramatic rescue near Palmwoods on the Sunshine Coast saw emergency teams using drones to navigate a 300-metre-wide flooded area<\/strong> to retrieve two individuals stranded on top of their vehicles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Brisbane, emergency crews have been searching submerged vehicles to ensure no one remains trapped inside. Authorities have urged residents <\/a>to seek higher ground and avoid floodwaters, which may contain hazardous debris and wastewater.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Queensland Premier David Crisafulli<\/a>, the scale of the disaster is unprecedented. The State Emergency Service (SES) received 3,676 calls<\/strong> for assistance in just 24 hours, marking the busiest period in its history. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emergency alerts remain in place for Brisbane, Logan, Gold Coast, and Ipswich, where rivers and creeks are dangerously close to breaking their banks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further west, authorities in the Lockyer Valley have issued warnings to residents of Laidley Creek, advising them to take shelter immediately. The situation remains critical, with flood levels<\/strong> still rising in several areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Power Outages and Disruptions as Communities Struggle to Recover<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The widespread flooding has also caused major disruptions to essential services, with over 200,000 people still without power across Queensland and northern NSW<\/strong>. According to Seqwater, wastewater overflows have been reported in multiple areas, increasing the risk of contamination. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Authorities have advised residents to avoid contact with floodwaters, which may contain untreated sewage, animal waste, and debris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schools across the region have been forced to close, impacting thousands of students. In response, the National Assessment Program \u2013 Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN<\/a><\/strong>) exams have been postponed in affected areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In northern NSW, where one fatality has been reported, at least 1,800 people remain isolated due to floodwaters, while another 20,300 residents<\/strong> have been instructed to evacuate. NSW State Emergency Service (SES) Assistant Commissioner Sean Kearns warned that heavy rainfall is expected to persist, heightening the risk of further flooding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese<\/strong> <\/a>visited Lismore on Monday, meeting with flood-affected residents. The federal government has activated Commonwealth hardship payments for impacted communities, offering $180 <\/strong>per person and $900 <\/strong>per family in financial aid.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Thousands remain without power as floodwaters swallow roads and homes across southeast Queensland and northern NSW. Emergency crews are racing to rescue stranded residents while authorities issue fresh warnings. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Meteorology is defending its forecasts after claims that coastal communities were left unprepared. The situation remains critical as more rainfall is expected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":102351,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-102348","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-weather","generate-columns","tablet-grid-50","mobile-grid-100","grid-parent","grid-33","no-featured-image-padding"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102348","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=102348"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102348\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":102352,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/102348\/revisions\/102352"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/102351"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=102348"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=102348"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.econostrum.info\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=102348"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}