More residents brace for impact as cyclone Narelle wreaks havoc
Remote Top End residents are bracing for destructive winds, heavy rain and flash flooding as a cyclone approaches after hitting parts of Queensland overnight.
Residents in remote Northern Territory towns are bracing for the impact of a cyclone barrelling across the coast after hitting parts of Queensland overnight.
Narelle has been downgraded from a category four to a two as it moves through the Gulf of Carpentaria, and is expected to impact the eastern Top End late Saturday.
But the Bureau of Meteorology has warned residents from Nhulunbuy to Port McArthur, including Borroloola, Numbulwar, Alyangula and Gapuwiyak that Narelle will strengthen as it approaches.
Very destructive winds gusting up to 195 km/h are forecast in some areas into Sunday while heavy rain could cause flash flooding.
“There are some key watch points for residents in the Cape York Peninsula today, and the first of those is the rivers, which are still raging, water flowing much higher than usual, spilling over the banks and across roads,” the bureau’s senior meteorologist Angus Hines said.
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“This is likely isolating communities in the far north of Queensland and making it difficult to get out and assess the damage, reach remote locations and top up supplies.”
In an outback town where residents face the threat of a second round of major flooding, just as a big clean-up had hit full swing, sandbags are being stacked again.
Katherine has been shaking off the mud since suffering its worst floods in almost 30 years earlier in March.
Mayor Joanna Holden told AAP the town’s population of 10,000 was taking the forecast seriously and preparations were under way, with sandbagging crews in action from Thursday.
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Many properties that had water through them had been cleaned out but other clean-ups were on hold in case buildings flooded again.
The mayor was worried volunteers were becoming exhausted after two weeks of helping with the recovery.
“To have to go back again and potentially have to clean out the same places and see the same devastation, that takes its toll,” she said.
Chris Monk, manager of Katherine’s Pine Tree Motel, told AAP many bookings had been cancelled and repair and maintenance efforts were on hold due to the new flooding threat.
His hotel had water through 10 rooms but he said there was no point putting in dehumidifiers “only for them to get wet again”.
“I think everybody is prepared to go through it again,” he said.
“It’s just one of those things. We have to face it.”
On the Gulf of Carpentaria coast, the defence force has evacuated almost 150 people from the community of Numbulwar, with hundreds more to be flown out as Narelle approaches.
About 500 people made a Darwin high school gymnasium their new home as the cyclone impacts their community.
Residents in Narelle’s sight were urged to stay indoors and wait for the storm to pass amid reports of lost roofs and fallen trees in the small township of Coen.
Downpours were expected in the far north Queensland region for up to 48 hours.
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