My message today, and we do have a bit of rain left to go, is overwhelmingly you must always put your safety first. That's number one in a disaster. Property can be replaced, people can't."

Cyclone Alfred causes severe flooding and power outages in Queensland and NSW, affecting over 300,000 residents. Government aid announced.- Watch Video on English Oneindia

Ex-TC Alfred is the first cyclone to hit southeast Queensland since ex-TC Zoe in 1974. Some footage of that event can be seen here, courtesy of David Hill’s father, who recorded the damage on the Gold Coast with his 8mm camera.

Home values in cyclone-impacted areas across Queensland are likely to take a hit, but an increase in demand for properties in unaffected suburbs could actually drive prices higher.

More than 22,000 insurance claims related to ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred and associated flooding across southeast Queensland and NSW have been lodged in the past week.

Cyclone Alfred struck the east coast of Australia late Friday, unleashing strong winds, rough surf and dangerous rip currents along popular beaches over the weekend. An estimated 10 to 15 inches fell around Brisbane and on Moreton Island during the storm.

Before and after pictures of Australia’s east coast show the true scale of devastation caused by Tropical Cyclone Alfred. What was once a paradise for surfers, with golden, sunlit sands, became a battleground as waves as high as ‘three or four-storey buildings’ slammed into the coastline.

Cyclone Alfred has weakened into a tropical low, but its impact remains severe across Queensland and NSW. Over 300,000 people are without power, and flood risks persist as heavy rain lashes Brisbane.