Body found in floodwaters and troops injured in Australia storm

Australian authorities have stated that a body was found in a flood zone during a tropical storm that struck the country's east coast, and 13 military personnel were injured in a vehicle accident. This follows the downgrade of Tropical Cyclone "Alfred" to a tropical low on Saturday.

The tropical low made landfall near Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, on Saturday evening local time. Officials have warned residents to stay indoors and remain vigilant, stating that the threat from the storm is "not over yet."

Strong winds have toppled trees and power lines, and flooded low-lying roads. More than 300,000 homes in the area are without power. Police said on Saturday that they found a body while searching for a 61-year-old missing man. The man went missing in floodwaters in Dorrigo, northern New South Wales, on Friday when his car was trapped by the flood.

Emergency responders witnessed the man escape from the car and climb onto a tree near the riverbank, but rescuers were unable to reach him in time, and the man was swept away by the flood. Police found a body in the area on Saturday and said it was "believed to be the missing man."

In a separate incident on Saturday, Federal Minister for Defence Personnel Matt Keogh said that 13 military personnel were injured in a convoy accident in Lismore, located about 200 kilometers south of Brisbane. A truck overturned while traveling on a narrow road, and a second truck then collided with it. The state's ambulance service previously stated that they had treated 36 people at the scene. Keogh clarified to the media that while approximately 36 people were involved, only 13 were injured. They are part of the military personnel deployed to Lismore, near the Queensland border, to assist in rescue and response operations.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said in a statement, "Our Australian Defence Force heroes are on their way to help Australians in need," noting that some have been "seriously injured." Albanese previously addressed the nation on Saturday in the capital, Canberra, saying that millions of residents were "well prepared," but "we must remain vigilant."

Four million people in Queensland and northern New South Wales are bracing for the storm's landfall, with dozens of weather warnings issued for both regions. Energy supplier Energex said that approximately 287,000 customers in southeastern Queensland were experiencing power outages, while Essential Energy said that more than 42,600 homes and businesses in New South Wales were without power.

Residents of Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, went to bed on Friday night bracing for strong winds and heavy rain. They woke up on Saturday to learn that the cyclone had been downgraded and that the city would escape the worst of the weather. But the danger is not over for other parts of southeastern Queensland and northern New South Wales. Over the past few days, the Gold Coast has been battered by severe weather with torrential rain and strong winds. Hundreds of trees have been uprooted in gardens, parks and along main roads. Debris is everywhere, and emergency services have cordoned off the areas with the highest risk.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns said "this emergency is not over," adding that it is "absolutely critical" that the public "not be complacent" about the storm. He said: "Whether it's been downgraded from a tropical cyclone to a weather event is really irrelevant to us." The state's emergency services operations commander, Stuart Fisher, warned people not to be "complacent," saying that authorities in the region expect flooding to continue in the coming days.

As the storm got closer to making landfall, nearly 1,000 schools have been closed, public transport has been suspended, and airports have been shut down. Elective surgeries have also been cancelled. Flights are not expected to resume until Sunday at the earliest. The BBC interviewed several people from Brisbane's homeless community who were sheltering at the Emmanuel City Mission, which has become a 24-hour refuge.

At the Treasure Island Holiday Park on the Gold Coast, north of Surfers Paradise, a gum tree fell between two cabins, damaging a third. Nearby, a boat lay half-submerged in a canal a block from the beach. On the coast itself, many of the paths leading to the beach are now impassable. They instead drop abruptly to the ocean, where powerful waves have eroded the sand.

But the cleanup will have to wait a few days - the wind is still strong, and it is still raining heavily. Residents are beginning to venture out to assess the damage, but many are still staying indoors to ensure their safety.

Simon Atkinson reporting from the Gold Coast