00:00Across northern New South Wales, the rivers are running and the waters are rising.
00:09Alfred's downgrade from a cyclone to a tropical low, not enough to prevent the need for dozens
00:15of flood rescues.
00:16Please do not be complacent.
00:18At the moment our crews are out, tending to trees down, power lines down, working with
00:23the energy companies.
00:24This emergency is not over.
00:26The rivers are full, the rain is continuing.
00:30The heaviest rainfall overnight was in Dorigo.
00:33The northern Tablelands town has now received more than 750mm over the past five days.
00:40The body of a 61-year-old man who went missing nearby when his ute was swept into floodwaters
00:46has now been found.
00:47His vehicle has entered a flooded bridge and was washed off.
00:52This highlights the public messaging, do not enter flooded roads, bridges or causeways.
00:59Also here to help, a fleet of specialist drones.
01:04These can be used to make life-saving deliveries.
01:07Potentially if someone's caught in floodwaters, sitting on top of their car, we could potentially
01:12fly over to them and drop a life jacket or something like that.
01:15They're also helping rescue crews keep watch over rising rivers.
01:20In Lismore today, locals were anxiously eyeing the Wilsons River from the sidelines.
01:24Kind of nervous, it's weird to see it that high.
01:30Parts of the town are already underwater, including a school that's been closed since
01:35the devastating floods of 2022.
01:37But the wild weather didn't stop a new little one from entering the world overnight, while
01:42wind and rain battered her parents' home.
01:45We were very aware that she might come through this cyclone, so we nicknamed her Baby Alfie
01:52and said that it'll probably take a cyclone for her to make her grand entrance.
01:56Her actual name is tipped to be Billie.
01:59The full impact of this weather event is not yet known, but plans are already underway
02:03for the recovery stage, which will focus on the so-called three R's.
02:08The road network, rubbish removal and resupply.
02:12The lessons that I took out of 2022 will serve us well today, because not only do I
02:16know what worked, I know what didn't work.
02:19Work on the recovery is already getting underway.
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