Katherine Braces for Second Major Flood in Two Weeks as Cyclone Narelle Approaches

KATHERINE — Businesses are being sandbagged and a field hospital deployed as Katherine braces for another major flood, two weeks after its worst in almost 30 years.

Severe Tropical Cyclone Narelle is expected to hit the Northern Territory on Saturday night. Groote Eylandt is forecast to experience winds up to 200 kilometres per hour. By the time the system reaches Katherine, it will likely be downgraded to a tropical low but is still expected to bring heavy rain and strong winds.

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a major flood warning for Katherine. Forecasters expect 150-200mm of rain over the weekend and into early next week.

River conditions

BOM spokesperson Shenagh Gamble said the Katherine River may exceed the major flood level of 17.5 metres. The catchment is already saturated from recent rainfall.

As we've seen over the past few days and over the past week, the Katherine River is very responsive to rainfall. Any rain that happens in and around Katherine will cause flooding.

— Shenagh Gamble, Bureau of Meteorology

Two weeks ago the river reached more than 19 metres, flooding homes and businesses and killing livestock in rural areas.

Deputy Chief Minister Gerard Maley said the Nitmiluk Centre is forecast to be affected overnight Sunday, with the township expected to be impacted Monday morning. He urged residents to prepare for a major event.

Emergency response

NT Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Andrew Warton said the saturated landscape means any rainfall will have amplified effects.

Commissioner Warton said Katherine residents were in a better state of preparedness than two weeks ago. The recent flood gave them a dress rehearsal, and the memory remains fresh.

The National Critical Care and Trauma Response Centre has deployed to Katherine to set up a field hospital. Senior health staff are being sent to assist local health professionals.

Len Notaras from the centre said local staff had done a fabulous job and the deployment would enhance their capacity as the town faces potential further flooding.

Local preparations

Territory Pharmacy manager Priscilla Aquila Moses said staff were ensuring Aboriginal health organisations and aged care clinics had enough medication to last one to two weeks if they became isolated.

Two weeks ago, the pharmacy had floodwaters at knee height. Stock was destroyed and flooring had to be ripped up. This time, staff are sandbagging rear openings that were overlooked before and moving stock to higher ground.

At Knotts Crossing caravan park, Australian Defence Force personnel were stripping flooded cabins. The ADF deployment, largely drawn from RAAF Base Tindal, has been on the ground since Tuesday.

ADF operations

Colonel Steve Dickie, an Army commander organising clean-up efforts, said personnel would continue working until the tropical low arrived. They may be reassigned to flood preparation activities as conditions deteriorate.

In the past 48 hours, ADF aircraft including a C27 Spartan and two C130 Hercules evacuated hundreds of residents from the Arnhem Land community of Numbulwar.

Wing Commander Alex Smith, senior ADF officer at RAAF Tindal, said teams were planning to keep the base operational and potentially support the town again if called upon.

He said he hoped local SES volunteers had been able to rest in recent days while ADF personnel came off the bench to assist.

Outlook

The exact height of the Katherine River cannot be forecast until rain falls into the catchment, but the Bureau of Meteorology expects the major flood level to be exceeded based on current tracks and rainfall forecasts.

Residents in flood-prone areas are urged to monitor BOM warnings and be prepared to evacuate if conditions deteriorate.

Insurance concerns

Residents whose properties were damaged two weeks ago face uncertainty over whether their insurance will cover a second flood event in the same policy period. The Insurance Council of Australia has advised affected policyholders to contact their insurers directly to understand their coverage.

Some Katherine businesses that were underinsured or uninsured in the first flood are now operating from temporary locations while repairs continue. A second major flood could set back recovery efforts by months.