Residents across the Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales have been waiting anxiously as a tropical storm – downgraded from <\/b>Cyclone Alfred – crawls towards them, leaving thousands in the dark.<\/p>\n Four million people are in the firing line of what was thought to be <\/b>the region’s first tropical cyclone in 50 years. Tens of thousands were told to evacuate ahead of the storm, which is expected to make landfall on Saturday.<\/p>\n Most have taken heed of warnings to stay indoors – taping up their windows and strapping down garden furniture – while shops have lined sandbags in front of their doors. <\/p>\n Ex-cyclone Alfred’s path slowed in recent days, with one meteorologist describing it as a “walking pace”, which sparked fears of prolonged rain and flooding.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In southern Brisbane, a popular city in Queensland, some from the homeless community have taken refuge at Emmanuel City Mission, filling the floor on rows of inflatable air mattresses.<\/p>\n The space, usually a day centre for people needing a shower or a hot meal, has become a round-the-clock shelter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n The BBC spoke to people at the centre when the tropical storm was still categorised as a cyclone.<\/p>\n Operations manager Tim Noonan told the BBC that most government-funded charities in the inner city of Brisbane have shut down since Thursday, leaving limited options for those in need.<\/p>\n It may be the first time in a long while that homeless people – who typically live in tents in parks or along riverbanks – have a proper resting space, he said. <\/p>\n “It’s counter intuitive…but this is the best they’ve been looked after. They’ve got somewhere to sleep.<\/p>\n “For a lot of them, this would be the first time in 10 years they’ve had an eight-hour sleep in air conditioning, going to bed on a full belly, waking up, getting a barista coffee and a bacon and egg burger,” he said.<\/p>\n Mr Noonan said he hoped the cyclone would highlight the need for better funding for organisations such as his. <\/p>\n “We’d love for when the cyclone passes, that these people don’t become invisible again,” he said.<\/p>\n Lauren Gorman was spending her second night at the centre with her dog Charcoal.<\/p>\n “I live on the streets, we have a housing crisis, and now we have a cyclone. This place has been amazing for finding other people who are doing it rough and getting information,” she told the BBC.<\/p>\n “I’m not scared, but I am worried for others who are still on the streets.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n While the authorities have warned for days about the cyclone, some die-hard surfers have instead seized the opportunity to ride the high waves.<\/p>\n Federal MP Anika Wells, whose Lilley electorate is in the north of Brisbane, said complacency is the biggest risk – especially as the arrival of what was then categorised as a <\/b>cyclone, kept being pushed back.<\/p>\n “We’re going door to door in some suburbs, where people are being asked to evacuate, but lots of people aren’t going because this is a once-in-50 year event, and it’s hard to take that notice to evacuate seriously, perhaps, when the sun is still shining in your backyard,” Wells told the BBC.<\/p>\n Now a tropical storm, winds are set to reach up to 85km\/h, less strong than first forecast.<\/p>\n On Saturday morning, senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury, from the Bureau of Meteorology, warned of the ongoing risk of severe weather, explaining that “24-hour rainfall totals could easily exceed 200mm or more over the next couple of days.”<\/p>\n She told ABC News Breakfast that “rain is still coming through in full force… [with] widespread flash-flooding, widespread impacts, likely to continue through today and well into tomorrow as well.”<\/p>\n Flash and riverine flooding is the biggest concern especially <\/b>in low-lying areas.<\/p>\n Some residents have been told they could be without power for days, with more than 230,000 households currently in the dark.<\/p>\n Nearly 1,000 schools have closed, public transport has been suspended and airports are shut. Elective surgeries have also been cancelled.<\/p>\n Flights are not expected to resume until Sunday at the earliest. <\/p>\n Additional reporting by Kelly Ng<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n![\"Tim](\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/480\/cpsprodpb\/0de1\/live\/0457b850-fb5e-11ef-8c03-7dfdbeeb2526.jpg.webp\")
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