NT: Residents become stranded in Katherine flood

AAP General News (Australia)
04-06-2006
NT: Residents become stranded in Katherine flood

DARWIN, April 6 AAP - Some residents in the Northern Territory town of Katherine have
begun evacuating as others become stranded in their homes with floodwater spreading around
them.

Nursing home residents and hospital patients were moved overnight and households told
to go to local schools if they needed to leave their homes.

The Katherine River had reached 18.5 metres by this morning, following monsoonal rains,
police said.

Resident Nola Sweetman said people were panic-buying in town yesterday and shopowners
were moving their stock as the floodwaters began to rise.

Mrs Sweetman said her farmhouse had been cut off from the town and it was a two km
boat ride across the creek.

But she said she and husband Derek would not be evacuating.

"We'll stay here because we're up on stilts now," she told AAP.

"We're higher up than the `98 flood."

In January 1998, the remnants of tropical cyclone Les dumped 500 mm of rain in the
Katherine River catchment area.

The Katherine River rose to a record 20.3 metres, subjecting the town to its worst
flood in memory. Four people were killed, half the population was forced to flee their
homes and all the businesses in the shopping area were flooded.

During that flood, the Sweetmans were stranded on top of their house and had to have
supplies flown in to them.

Mrs Sweetman said they were now moving their cattle to higher ground.

Tracey Scott said her two hectares block was fast becoming an island.

"We're on the Katherine River, on the opposite side to the gorge. Up behind us, from
Springvale, it's cut off by a sea of water, I can't see any buildings or anything," she
said.

"It's a bit concerning. My husband gets really wild at me but you've got to put things
in perspective, I'd rather have this than have that cyclone at Innisfail," she told AAP.

"This isn't scary, it's just damaging, it damages your property but you can get out of the way."

However, Ms Scott said the water was moving very fast and some of her neighbours with
small children had evacuated.

"Next door, it's lapping their back door, they had a container of their furniture,
they were moving to Darwin, but the water's covered that, they've lost all their furniture,"

she said.

Ms Scott said she bought flour, potatoes, onions, milk and bread yesterday.

"I think that's what most people in Katherine have done, just to make sure," she said.

"In `98, I could stand on our doorstep and the water was just under my shoulder. (This
time) we've got about six feet (1.8 metres remaining), so we're hoping it won't come in."

Katherine mayor Anne Shepherd said she feared the river would break its banks.

"Hopefully it won't be anything like `98. We have to keep our fingers crossed.

"But it's still rising at the (Katherine) Gorge and rising slowly here.

"I'm a bit fearful."

The Katherine Regional Counter Disaster Committee warns that the river is expected
to peak at around 19 metres by 10 am (CST).

Regional controller Kate Vanderlaan said last night emergency workers were evacuating
the Katherine Hospital and a nursing home.

They are believed to be relocated at the Tindal RAAF base.

AAP kl/ce/cjh/sd

KEYWORD: FLOOD LEAD

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