Australia’s east coast battered by Alfred’s deadly winds, heavy rains
Al JazeeraMAR 19
Ex-Cyclone Alfred Wreaks Havoc Across Eastern Australia
Above: A boy walks past an uprooted tree in front of the Miami Beach Surf Lifesaving Club in the aftermath of Cyclone Alfred on the Gold Coast on March 8, 2025. Image copyright: David Gray/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images
The Spin
Narrative A
The unprecedented severity of Cyclone Alfred highlights the need for enhanced disaster preparedness and infrastructure resilience. With the power outages being the state's largest-ever loss from a natural hazard, it's essential to create resilient services to dwarf the impact of future extreme weather patterns.
Narrative B
The economic impact of Cyclone Alfred remains manageable, with insurance claims currently at 3K — significantly lower than previous disasters such as Cyclone Jasper in 2023, which resulted in A$409M in claims. This suggests that effective early warning systems and emergency responses helped minimize damage.
Narrative C
Cyclone Alfred is a wake-up call. Climate change has intensified the storm's destructive power through warmer ocean temperatures, higher sea levels, and extreme rainfall patterns. It's crucial to see Cyclone Alfred as a sign of things to come, reduce emissions, and better prepare communities for future disasters.
Narrative D
As Cyclone Alfred could potentially complicate the election timeline, its impact had been overstated for political purposes, as evidenced by its downgrade to a storm before landfall. This shows that climate catastrophists are once again using climate "emergencies" to influence voters and businesses.