Daly River residents choppered out as floodwaters rise

FLOODS have forced the evacuation of more than 400 people from Daly River, as the search continues for a man swept away near Peppimenarti

Daly River epected to peak near 15m

The Daly River is above the major flood level of 14 metres and is expected to peak near 15m later today, according to a flood warning issued by the Bureau of Meteorology at 8am.

Heavy rainfall associated with the monsoon low in the Top End has produced 230mm to 600mm over the last four days in the lower Daly River catchment.

Rainfall around 80mm has been recorded in the past 24 hours in some parts of the lower and upper Daly River.

River rises are levelling off throughout the lower Daly River catchment but strong rises are still being seen at upstream river height gauges, the warning said.

River levels are expected to continue rising slowly above the major flood level and may peak near 15 metres before levelling out.

In Katherine a minor flood warning has been issued for Gorge Road.

Rainfall totals around 70mm to 80mm have been recorded in the lower Katherine River catchment in the past 24 hours.

Water levels are rising at the Katherine bridge after heavy rain over Christmas. PICTURE: Wendy Pritchard

Further rainfall is forecast for the Katherine River over the next 24 hours as the low moves east. The river level at the Katherine bridge was about 12m at 10.15am.

The Katherine River at Nitmiluk Centre is below the minor flood level for Gorge Road and is expected to rise during the day.

Floods have already forced the evacuation of more than 400 people from Daly River, as the search continues for a man swept away near Peppimenarti.

The 28-year-old man went missing after a car carrying three people was washed from a crossing at about 4.30pm Friday. Two people managed to swim to safety and failed to locate their friend. The pair then walked back to their community where they notified police after 10pm.

Daly River’s 434 people were evacuated to either the Woolianna School or the Foskey Pavilion at Darwin Showgrounds on Saturday.

Those heading to Darwin were first choppered to Batchelor.

Acting chief minister Willem Westra van Holthe ordered the evacuation after some parts of the region copped more than 500mm of rain in just 48 hours.

“A significant amount of rainfall has come into the catchment of the Daly River and we’re expecting further falls in the Katherine river through the course of the next 24 hours as the low pressure system moves to the eat and deposits rain in that catchment,” Mr Westra van Holthe said.

“We want to make sure the people of Daly River are looked after and in the Foskey pavilion there are sufficient facilities there to house several hundred people.

“Those facilities have been tested already with the evacuation of Warruwi earlier this year and we’re expecting things will go as smoothly as they possibly can.”

Northern Territory Emergency Services director Andrew Warton urged Territorians to steer clear of waterways as heavy rainfall is expected to continue into next week.

“If you are in around, near or in the vicinity of floodwaters, swollen waterways, pipes, drains — now is the time to exercise extreme caution,” he said.

“We have a missing person at the moment as the result of crossing a floodway.

“Now is the time to exercise caution particular in the communities where rivers are rising rapidly. “We have a very dangerous cocktail of rising floodwaters, rapidly moving water, torrential rain and in some instances, crocodiles.

“We cannot plead enough to ask people to exercise caution, stay safe and know that your emergency services and government agencies across the territory are doing the very best we can at the moment to keep people safe.”

The rain event has been caused by a tropical low moving east towards Borroloola. It is expected to form a Category One cyclone when it reaches the Gulf of Carpentaria.