Thirteen Australian Defence personnel were injured, six of them seriously, when two military trucks involved in the emergency response to ex-Cyclone Alfred rolled in northern New South Wales.
The incident occurred just after 5pm on Saturday (local time) about 9km southwest of Lismore.
Two 240M-model trucks, carrying soldiers based at the Gallipolli Barracks in Brisbane, rolled while travelling on Tregeagle Rd.
New South Wales police said ambulance paramedics attended and assisted a number of people at the scene.
In a statement, a Defence spokesperson told ABC that although there were 36 personnel involved in the crash on board the two vehicles, 13 were injured, six seriously.
"The welfare of ADF members and their families is a priority and Defence's focus is on supporting those involved," they said.
Speaking to media this morning, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the soldiers were "heroes who were on their way to help people in need".
"We will never take for granted the enormous sacrifice our soldiers make for us, and we will do all we can to support those injured and their families."
Defence Minister Richard Marles said the soldiers had chosen a life of service and that they had done so voluntarily.
"They knew they were in difficult circumstances where the weather made conditions treacherous, and in that sense, they were putting themselves voluntarily in danger."
NSW Premier Chris Minns said he was "very concerned" to learn of the crash.
"They came to the Northern Rivers to help keep this community safe," he said.
'Still packing a punch'
Meanwhile the threat of a tropical cyclone is not yet over despite the system being downgraded.
Ex-cyclone Alfred began moving as a tropical low from Queensland's Bribie Island, across the coast, and inland towards the state's southwest on Sunday.
The weakened storm still packs a punch, with the Brisbane region being battered by rain and strong wind gusts on Saturday night, including 100km/h recorded in Redcliffe and more than 70km/h at Brisbane Airport.
And there is more to come, as forecasters expect up to 700mm of rain and destructive gusts continuing through to Monday.
"We don't know what the weather will bring, the system remains active," Queensland Premier David Crisafulli said.
The Gold Coast and northern NSW have felt the brunt of the severe weather with the glitter strip recording gusts of 100km/h with trees crashing into homes.
Northern NSW is facing a flooding crisis with multiple major flood warnings in place for the Tweed, Richmond, Wilsons, Brunswick, Orara, Clarence and Bellinger rivers.
Major flooding is also expected at the Wilsons River, which runs through Lismore, where the water height is predicted to reach about 10.6m, touching the top of the levee.
Kiwis describe 'eerie' scenes
Meanwhile, what was meant to be a long-awaited escape to the Gold Coast turned into something else for Jo and Paul Nixon-Sparkes, who left their apartment by torchlight after ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred wiped out power on Friday night.
The Christchurch couple, who were initially bunkering down, made the decision to leave in the middle of the night, navigating by torchlight as the storm raged outside.
"We were starting to get a bit nervous about being right on the beach," Jo told 1News. "Then the power went out, and we realised we had no choice, we had to go."
They said the power outage wasn't just an inconvenience, it was a serious health risk.
"Paul and I both use sleep apnea machines, which help us breathe safely at night," Jo explained. "And I'm diabetic and I need to keep my insulin refrigerated. Without power, it just wasn't safe for us to stay."
Packing up whatever they could carry, they left their beachfront hotel in complete darkness, making their way to higher ground at their son Pierre's house as Alfred's winds howled around them.
"It was eerie with no lights, no sound except the wind and the waves. It felt like something out of a disaster movie," Paul said.
As of Sunday morning power was out to almost 200,000 homes, with fallen trees and power lines making repairs difficult. Authorities said it could be more than a week for some to have their power restored.
Coastal erosion had also devastated beaches, with entire staircases dropping off into nothing.
Winds of more than 120km/h have battered the region, sending debris flying and knocking down trees.
However, late Saturday Queensland Police Service advised all southeast Queensland residents that all emergency alerts issued in the last 48 hours that are relevant to Tropical Cyclone Alfred, have been cancelled.
"Now that the system has downgraded, the immediate threat of destructive winds has passed and all alerts relating to taking shelter have been cancelled," police said in a statement.
For Jo and Paul, this isn't their first disaster, and that's what makes it all feel so unsettling.
"We've been through the Christchurch earthquakes, the mosque attacks, the Port Hills fires, and Covid," Paul said. "Now we can add a cyclone to the list."
Jo agreed, saying the panic buying, the empty supermarket shelves, and the uncertainty all bring back memories of Christchurch's toughest days.
"Seeing people scramble for supplies took me straight back to the earthquakes," she said. "You feel that same anxiety in the air."
For now while their holiday was in limbo, they say they're grateful they're safe.
- Additional reporting by AAP
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