More than 30,000 without electricity as Alfred lashes Northern NSW
Heavy winds and rain have caused power outages for tens of thousands across Northern NSW. SEE WHERE.
NSW
Don't miss out on the headlines from NSW. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Tens of thousands of Northern NSW residents are without power as the effects of Cyclone Alfred are felt across the region.
A spokesperson for Essential Energy said 35,000 homes and businesses were without power due to severe winds and heavy rain with worst hit communities in the Northern Rivers and Far North Coast.
Residents have been sent into a spin as they fear “the worst is yet to come”.
Overnight on Thursday and into the early hours of Friday, one local on a Murwillumbah residents Facebook group said they were “awake and sick to my stomach”.
Wind speeds were clocked at 103km/h.
Hundreds of residents on the group said they were unable to sleep during the onslaught, and were active on the group at 2am during a community “check-up”.
Sue Spence wrote: “Awake and scared on my own in Pottsville.”
Danielle Nash added: “Can’t sleep and nervous for what’s to come as the cyclone has not even hit yet.”
Allyson Fox said she was “petrified”.
One user said their beloved dog had died overnight, and they were unsure how to “put her to rest in this weather”.
Loz Carr said she was “wide awake in Cabarita Beach” and that the wild weather was “so noisy that I’m worried my windows will explode and my house will be blown to smithereens”.
“Essential Energy crews worked late into the evening to restore what they could safely until conditions became too dangerous to work in,” she said.
“Once safe to do so, crews will continue to restore power where they can until they are able to access areas of the network that are flooded or damaged by wind or vegetation debris.”
In the Mullumbimby area about 1200 people have been left in the dark, and 1200 at Fingal Head.
Wires down at Tweed Heads have cut power for more than 1300 people.
More to come.
Greens candidate recovering from surgery after protest arrest injury
A Greens candidate who competed against PM Anthony Albanese in his Sydney seat has undergone surgery amid fears she could lose vision in one of her eyes after clashing with police at an anti-Israel rally.
‘Appalling’: Woman refused bail over alleged racist violent attacks
A 57-year-old woman accused of a series of violent and racially motivated attacks on random members of the public in Sydney’s eastern suburbs has been refused bail. Here’s what happened in court.