At least one person died and four remain missing after Tropical Cyclone Alfred battered Australia’s east coast. But its coastal erosion, not human casualties, that have got the country talking. The Gold Coast is known for its smooth,

Residents are stacking sandbags to protect low-lying properties ahead of a tropical cyclone that is forecast to become the first in 51 years to hit the Australian east coast near Brisbane, the nation’s third-most populous city.

For many people, the most visible impact of Cyclone Alfred was the damage big waves and storm surge did to their local beaches.