The situation in Daly River is becoming increasingly serious, with anticipated flooding projected to peak at an alarming 14 meters on Monday. This news comes as reports indicate that some homes in the community have already suffered minor damage due to rising waters.
Earlier this week, nearly 300 residents from this remote area—situated approximately 220 kilometers southwest of Darwin—were evacuated to the capital of the Northern Territory, seeking safety from the impending flood risks. Only a few residents chose to remain behind during this critical time.
As of an update provided on Sunday by incident controller David Moore, the river level was recorded at 13.71 meters at 1:45 PM. The forecast suggests that it will reach the major flood threshold of 14 meters on Monday and maintain that level into Tuesday.
Moore reported, "I can confirm that we've observed some minor water damage within the Daly River community itself." He noted that three homes at the northern end of Daly River had experienced a small amount of water infiltration due to the rising floodwaters. Despite these incidents, he reassured the community, stating that most areas remain dry, although the river's flow is narrowing.
"Currently, about three-quarters of the airstrip is submerged under water, and all roads leading into Daly River are also underwater," Moore explained. He emphasized that while water is "just lapping" at the homes now, authorities would continue to keep a close watch on the situation.
Superintendent Moore expressed optimism regarding the potential impact of the flooding, suggesting that it is unlikely many homes will be severely affected at peak levels. "The data we have from our models indicates that at 14 meters, we shouldn't expect extensive damage to a large number of homes," he stated. However, he also cautioned, "Unpredictability can occur, but so far, we're not anticipating significant damage at this level."
He contrasted this situation with the catastrophic floods of 2018, which saw water levels exceed 16 or 17 meters, resulting in widespread devastation across the community.
Looking ahead, Moore indicated that it may take several days up to a week for emergency services to safely access the area, depending on the extent of the damage and how quickly the waters recede. "The current water flow is quite slow—only about 0.3 meters has risen since this morning. I anticipate we will need to wait a few days for the water levels to drop before our assessment teams can conduct thorough evaluations," he concluded.
