National

'We have to face it': flood-struck town waits for storm

Mar 21, 2026

Flooding is seen in Katherine South, Northern Territory — The flood-hit town of Katherine is bracing for more rain as a major storm system approaches the NT. -PR IMAGE

The sandbags are being stacked again 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.

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

Katherine has been shaking off the mud since suffering its worst floods in almost 30 years earlier in March.

But a big storm system called Narelle is heading its way after lashing Queensland's Cape York Peninsula as a category four tropical cyclone.

It is due to cross the Gulf of Carpentaria and move into the Northern Territory late on Saturday or early Sunday before weakening to a tropical low as it nears Katherine.

But the system will still pack a rain punch with the Bureau of Meteorology tipping the Katherine River to rise to major flood levels on Monday.

Katherine Mayor Joanna Holden told AAP the town's population of 10,000 was taking the forecast seriously but hoped the bureau's predictions were wrong.

She said preparations were under way, with sandbagging crews in action from Thursday.

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 flood recovery and clean-up effort.

"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 clean-up work was 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 set to be flown out as Narelle approaches.

About 500 people are making a Darwin high school gymnasium their new home as the cyclone impacts their community.

The cyclone is set to pass Groote Eylandt in the Gulf on Saturday night with wind gusts up to 200km/h - strong enough to cut power, cause structural damage and fell trees.

Narelle crossed the Cape York coast as a dangerous category four system about 7am on Friday, producing wind gusts of more than 250km/h.

Residents bunkered down as the monster storm hit, causing widespread power outages and flooding.

It was downgraded to a category two as it moved west into the Gulf of Carpentaria.

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 are expected in the far north Queensland region for up to 48 hours.