Homes flooded to rooftops as emergency relief arrives
Officials say little can be done to save flooded homes along the Top End’s flooded Daly River other than waiting for the water to recede.
Everyone in the affected area, including the Daly River community, was evacuated safely north to Darwin but their homes remained flooded.
“There is not a building in the Daly River that is not under water, most of them are under water up to the roof,” Northern Territory Premier Lia Finocchiaro told reporters on Saturday.
“We must let the river flow before taking any further steps.”
Levels along the waterway, one of the few in the region that flows year-round, are rising above levels set three decades ago.
Moderate rain forecast for the area over the next few days means it will stay that way for the next week.
The Bureau of Meteorology is monitoring the situation closely and will issue new warnings if necessary.
Wet weather has devastated the NT, flooding remote communities and affecting Darwin’s water supply.
Flooding in Katherine was the worst in almost 30 years and crocodiles were spotted in the city.
The total number of homes and businesses affected there is still being counted, but the Insurance Council of Australia has declared it a major incident.
Ms Finocchiaro said the NT’s Emergency Operations Center remained in the response phase.
“As of today, approximately 621 people are still in evacuation centers across the Top End.
“This includes Darwin, Katherine and Mataranka.
“We will plan to repatriate people as soon as possible, but it needs to be safe and that’s why we’re working on that right now.”
A minor flood warning has been downgraded for the Katherine River, while flood watches remain in effect for the Central and Western Midlands.
Ms Finocchiaro said one of the biggest welfare responses the district had undertaken was the introduction of
1275 prepaid emergency debit cards with a total value of $1.15 million were issued.
“More than 1,100 payments have already been made, equating to approximately 25 per cent of Katherine’s population receiving payments,” he said.
Officials are also waiting to hear whether ADF support will arrive in the town.
In western Queensland’s canal country, a major flood crest along the Georgina River has passed Marion Downs and is approaching Eyre Creek, the bureau said on Saturday.
Significant renewed river level rises occurred at Bedourie and Glengyle, while showers and thunderstorms were expected across the region over the next few days.
The disaster has so far claimed the lives of two Chinese backpackers who jumped off a bridge on their way from Brisbane to the rain-hit North Burnett region.
Another man is missing after falling off a houseboat on the Burnett River near Bundaberg on Friday.
Bundaberg is one of Queensland’s communities in recovery mode after more than 350 homes and businesses were flooded.
A series of rescues took place across the state, with footage released on Friday showing a woman in her 80s eagerly receiving help as Chinchilla natives were evacuated before being taken to safety.
Attention has turned further west to Longreach, where emergency warnings were issued ahead of the town’s first major flood since 2000.
The Bureau of Meteorology said it would be affected by “fairly significant” flooding over the weekend or early next week.
Longreach Mayor Tony Rayner told the ABC: “We are well prepared but that doesn’t take away from the fact that some houses will have water coming through them.”
As of Friday afternoon, flooding had closed more than 450 roads in Queensland, injured 250 animals and damaged or destroyed more than a thousand fences.
Federal and state governments activated disaster recovery grants of up to $75,000 and low-interest loans of up to $2 million for affected primary producers.
Emergency assistance payments of up to $180 to individuals and up to $900 to families of five or more will be provided for basic needs such as food, clothing and medicine.
