Northern Territory Flood Crisis: Crocodile Threats and Mass Evacuations
Severe flooding has struck the Northern Territory, leading to hundreds of evacuations and urgent warnings about crocodile-infested waters. The Katherine River reached a peak level of 19.2 metres at 10:45 pm on Saturday, marking the highest flood since 1998, an event that tragically claimed three lives. This alarming rise has triggered widespread emergency responses across the region.
Evacuations and Emergency Measures
Over the weekend, hundreds of residents were forced to flee their homes. The entire town of Nauiyu/Daly River was evacuated by Sunday afternoon, as confirmed by NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro. Shaun Gill, the acting commander of NT incident control, reported that approximately 1,000 people are now sheltering in evacuation centres following a challenging day of rescues on Saturday. These operations involved six aircraft and 18 helicopters, targeting communities including Nganmarriyanga, Nauiyu, Katherine, and Jilkminggan.
Finocchiaro detailed that 80 individuals, stranded on Saturday due to adverse weather, were safely evacuated on Sunday morning after being moved to higher ground by boat overnight. In response to the crisis, federal and territory governments have activated financial assistance. Payments are capped at $1,537 per family for the Katherine local government area, with an additional re-establishment fund offering up to $8,847 for eligible households.
Crocodile Dangers and Public Warnings
Authorities have issued stark warnings against entering floodwaters, citing both fast-flowing currents and heightened crocodile activity. Gill emphasised at a press conference, "There are crocs absolutely everywhere ... please don't go in the water." He advised residents to avoid swimming due to the dual risks of rapid river flow and crocodile presence, noting that these reptiles are most active during such conditions.
Social media reports have underscored the danger, with one resident posting in a Katherine community Facebook group about sighting a crocodile floating down a street. Another video shared online showed a crocodile galloping across a road in the town on Saturday morning. The NT government has reinforced this message with a #BeCrocwise campaign, urging people to stay away from water edges, keep children and pets safe, and assume any waterway may contain a crocodile.
River Levels and Weather Forecasts
The Daly River continues to rise and is expected to surpass its 1957 record of 15.3 metres in the coming week. Jude Scott from the Bureau of Meteorology indicated that the Daly River could remain at major flood levels for at least this week and into the next, describing it as a "huge river holding enormous volumes of water." Meanwhile, the Katherine River, though still at major flood level on Sunday afternoon, has seen a slight drop in water levels as rains eased.
Angus Hines, a senior meteorologist, cautioned that isolated rainfall could potentially cause a renewed rise in the Katherine River. He also highlighted a shift in focus to Queensland, where a severe weather warning for heavy rainfall is in place for the state's north-west. A tropical low is expected to move south-east, bringing isolated six-hourly rainfall totals of up to 100mm, with potential peaks of 170mm on the Sunshine Coast. Hines noted that Queensland is experiencing cumulative impacts from a "long and quite widespread wet season," with flood watches issued for most of the state and major flooding risks on rivers like the Georgina, Lower Flinders, and Thomson.
Infrastructure and Health Impacts
The flooding has severely disrupted daily life and infrastructure. Finocchiaro announced that government offices, courts, and several schools will remain closed on Monday, with some schools repurposed as shelters. The Stuart Highway is closed due to flooding on both sides of Katherine, isolating the town and making travel hazardous, though train services from Alice Springs to Darwin have resumed, which Finocchiaro described as "good news for food" supplies.
In health-related developments, two patients from Katherine Hospital were evacuated to Darwin on Saturday, while 21 others are being treated at a temporary emergency department set up in the town's industrial area. As a precaution, 20 pregnant women have been airlifted to other hospitals. Additionally, telecommunications issues and power outages have affected at least 90 homes, with Gill reporting around 120 emergency calls, though he advised residents to continue using triple zero for emergencies despite some connectivity challenges.
This flooding event underscores the ongoing risks posed by extreme weather in northern Australia, with communities grappling with both natural and wildlife hazards. Authorities remain vigilant as they monitor river levels and coordinate relief efforts to ensure public safety.
