Cyclone Alfred has claimed its first victim after the body of a man was found during a search for a 61-year-old who was swept away by floodwaters in northern New South Wales.
The discovery was made around 4.30pm on Saturday near Dorrigo, where the man had been missing since Friday.
Police said the body is believed to be that of the missing man, though formal identification is yet to be completed.
The man had been driving his car across Wild Cattle Creek Bridge, about 25km north-east of Dorrigo, when it was swept into floodwaters.
Cyclone Alfred has been downgraded to a tropical low but continues to cause havoc, with officials warning residents the emergency "is not over" despite the downgrade
REUTERS
Emergency responders witnessed him escape the vehicle and climb onto a tree branch, approximately 30m from the riverbank.
Rescuers were unable to reach him before he was swept away by the raging waters.
Cyclone Alfred has been downgraded to a tropical low but continues to cause havoc, with officials warning residents the emergency "is not over" despite the downgrade.
"It really doesn't matter to us whether it's been downgraded from a tropical cyclone to a weather event," said New South Wales Premier Chris Minns.
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The storm is expected to make landfall near Brisbane in coming hours.
Winds have brought down trees and power lines, flooding low-lying roads across the region.
More than 300,000 properties are without power, with around 287,000 customers experiencing outages in south east Queensland, according to energy provider Energex.
Essential Energy reported that over 42,600 homes and businesses in New South Wales had experienced blackouts.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the discovery of the body as "tragic". "Our thoughts are with his loved ones and the community at this heartbreaking time," he said.
In a separate incident, 36 military personnel were injured in a convoy crash in Lismore.
"Our ADF heroes were on their way to help Australians in need," Albanese said in a statement.
Nearly 1,000 schools have closed across the affected regions, public transport has been suspended and airports are shut, with flights not expected to resume until Sunday at the earliest.
Winds have brought down trees and power lines, flooding low-lying roads across the region
REUTERS
Elective surgeries have also been cancelled as authorities focus on emergency response.
The military had deployed crews to assist with rescue operations before the convoy accident in Lismore.
Along the Gold Coast, conditions have been severe with driving rain and strong winds. Hundreds of trees have been blown over, with debris scattered across the area.
Coastal paths have become unpassable as powerful waves eroded the sand.
Residents have been advised to remain indoors as the clean-up cannot begin for several days.
