Millions of residents along Australia’s eastern coast are bracing for the arrival of a very slow-moving storm, the strongest tropical cyclone to threaten the region in more than 50 years. Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to make landfall early Saturday with the strength of an Atlantic tropical storm.

Eastern Australia is grappling with severe flooding as the remnants of Cyclone Alfred bring torrential rains, causing power blackouts for over 200,000 properties and prompting urgent rescue operations.