Sydney, March 6 -- Australia's New South Wales (NSW) State Emergency Service issued emergency evacuation warnings on Thursday as tropical cyclone Alfred edges closer to the country's east coast.
Residents in the Northern Rivers region in northeastern NSW have been urged to evacuate by 9 p.m. local time on Thursday, as rapid river rises and heavy rainfall are expected to cause widespread flooding across local catchments, and fallen trees may potentially block safe evacuation routes.
"If you remain in the area, you may become trapped without power, water, and other essential services," said NSW State Emergency Service State Duty Commander, Assistant Commissioner Nicole Hogan.
Hogan warned that it could become too dangerous for the emerg...