A Channel Seven reporter doing a live cross during Cyclone Alfred has been blasted after unleashing at members of the public.
Katie Brown was flown into Byron Bay, in northern NSW, to report on the developing flooding situation in the region on Friday – a day before the weather system was downgraded to a tropical low on Saturday morning.
The clip was reposted to the program’s Facebook page with the caption that Brown ‘had some choice words for a driver crossing flood waters after their dangerous manoeuvre’.
The show’s producers perhaps envisioned raging floodwaters and shearing winds, though with not too much to report on, Brown seemed to fixate on people out walking and a driver who passed another car on the road.
‘This is only minor flooding but we’ve really got to be careful, we can’t be risking it, there’s even a bicycle rider going through the floodwaters,’ Brown said.
‘We’ve got a bystander running through, I’m not sure why he’s on the road.
‘In terms of safety we really need to listen to the authorities, there’s still a lot of people out and about and travelling.
‘You can see how quickly this floodwater rises, this morning when we left for Ballina it was a small puddle.’
Sunrise reporter Katie Brown was doing a live cross from Byron Bay as the weather system approached the trendy community beloved by celebrities
With the cyclone downgraded and without much going on in the way of winds or torrential rain, Brown took issue with a car overtaking in the ankle-high flooding
One car drove drove through the intersection slightly faster than the cars in the adjacent lane.
‘You can see a Commodore being so stupid on the road. Sorry, that is stupid behaviour,’ Brown said.
‘That is so dangerous, that can cause a serious accident, we are dealing with a cyclone.
‘This is what you have to be aware of, people who are being silly. That’s really annoyed me, sorry Shirvo I’ve lost my train of thought.’
Commenters on the Facebook post said Brown was ‘overreacting’.
‘Don’t give out safety advise when you are unnecessarily outside and running around near cars,’ one said.
‘Get away from the road and out of the rain then,’ another added.
A third said: ‘Was nothing wrong with that, he had a good speed to get through the water and the car in front of him was moving much slower. Wouldn’t have been smart for him to slow down.’
There were still some serious winds as this fallen tree at Pottsville Beach near Byron Bay shows
‘Get a grip, it’s a little puddle. Yes the commodore was going too quick but the level would be 10-15cm at best,’ a fourth said.
‘The reporter could attract the attention of drivers which result in a collision. Get off the road and under cover,’ agreed another.
But many other commenters said the reporter was spot on.
‘Well done for calling them out. Some people are being so stupid and selfish, they will be the ones who pull emergency resources from those who actually need rescuing or assistance,’ argued one.
‘Love you Katie Brown… tells it how it is,’ said another.
‘A Commodore driver, there’s always one. Not to mention going that quick can flood the other cars by making waves,’ a third said.
‘They’re just doing their job too, trying to notify the communities of what is happening and if they weren’t you’d be crying about why weren’t we told?’ a fourth said.
Overnight, Tropical Cyclone Alfred was downgraded to a tropical low but millions in NSW and Queensland have been still been told to bunker down for dangerous conditions including flash flooding, heavy rain and intense winds.
Flooding is still a danger for northern NSW with at least one river expected to breach its levee this afternoon
Residents in northern NSW have still been warned to brace for flooding as authorities are concerned a river levee in Lismore could be breached.
Major flooding is expected at the Wilsons River, which runs through the city, where the river height is set to reach around 10.6 metres.
NSW SES Commissioner Michael Wassing said Saturday was ‘D-day’ for the weather event.
‘Irrespective of the crossing of the cyclone currently in Queensland, we’re still seeing very strong winds,’ he said.
‘But more importantly, we’re still seeing very heavy rainfalls and therefore river rises, flash flooding and continued inundation of many areas.’
In the last 24 hours, there were 30 flood rescues, predominantly from people driving through flood waters.
There are currently 131 warnings, including 40 emergency warnings, which equates to approximately 20,000 people under evacuation orders.
Commissioner Wassing said while levees had not overtopped, the SES was ready for all outcomes.
‘The CBD levee and the levee to the south part of Lismore has not overtopped … but we are getting flooding in low lying areas in Lismore,’ he said.
‘Certainly with the Wilson River, the predictions indicate that there will be rises and there is likely to be further flooding.’
Lismore was inundated by floods in 2022 and water is already surging in some part of the city
With significant power outages affecting Lismore, leaving around 43,000 premises without power, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said six generators were being sent from the national stockpile.
‘Right now, very clearly, we need to stick together and continue to look after each other,’ he said.
‘The impacts are already being felt and there is worse to come in the hours ahead.’
The prime minister is expected to visit the region in coming days and urged people to remain vigilant and stay out of floodwaters.
‘Please continue to stay up to date with the latest advice via the disaster The Disaster Queensland website, the NSW SES website, the Bureau of Meteorology website and through your local ABC Radio station,’ he said.
