Flood levels Katherine River Modified Northern Territory

You can find the Floodplain Maps link here for Katherine & Beswick
(but their links change nearly every month & it is hard to keep a track of them, so bear with me,
hence the copy of the Flood Categories below)

FLOOD WATCH: Flood Watch Advice
When at 3 metres at the Katherine Gorge and predicted to rise.

General Situation
Floodwaters are contained within the river
banks. Maud Creek crossing may become
closed. Local flood plain run off and a rise in the
river level will threaten Gorge Road at Bullock
Creek Crossing (Morris Road).

CATEGORY 1: Flood Warning Advice
When 4.5 metres at the Katherine Gorge and predicted to rise.

General Situation
Flood waters are still largely confined within
riverbanks. Maud Creek could be closed. Local
run off and a rise in the level could close the
Gorge road by approx 1.5 metres at Bullock
Creek Crossing (Morris Road), isolating rural
residents/tourists along Gorge Road and the
Nitmiluk National Park.

CATEGORY 2: Flood Warning Advice
When 5.5 metres at the Katherine Gorge and predicted to rise.

General Situation
Maud Creek and Bullock Creek (Morris Road)
crossings will be closed. Some flooding will occur
near Emungalan Road and Kalano community.
Flooding may occur at Florina Road creek crossings.
The Stuart Highway south of Katherine will also be
affected, especially in the area of Tindal Creek where
flood run off may close the highway for short
periods.
Flooding may occur along the western side of the
Katherine River and the ‘Rocks’ area as well as
affecting property in the south Katherine
Bicentennial Road area.

CATEGORY 3: Flood Warning Advice
When 7 metres at the Katherine Gorge and rising.

General Situation
Flood waters may cover extensive areas of the
Central Business District, lower parts of the
residential areas of the town both north and south of
the Stuart Highway could be affected. The Stuart
Highway could be cut by the depth of flood and flow
rate between Katherine CBD and Katherine East.
There could be an increasing flood run into the CBD.
The flood level at the Post Office may rise to
approximately one and three quarter metres.
Katherine East may be isolated. North & South
Katherine residential areas will suffer inundation.
Flooding will isolate the Hospital.

RECOVERY
(Falling River Height Advice)
This stage is declared when the Regional or Local
Counter Disaster Controller receives information that
water levels are falling and forecast to continue
falling. A recovery operation may be activated if
deemed necessary by the Regional Counter Disaster
Controller.

CANCELLATION OF FLOOD WATCH
This is declared by either the Regional or Local
Counter Disaster Controller when height indication
at Katherine Gorge has fallen below 3 metres.

Full downloadable brochure in pdf format available at the PFES website 1.4mb download

Katherine Police ................................................................... 8973 8000

Katherine Town Council ...................................................... 8972 5500

RSPCA Katherine ............................................................ 0407 559 479

Road Report .................................................................... 1800 246 199

Katherine Flood Hotline .................................................1800 500 070

Power Water Corporation..............................................1800 245 090

Please be advised that these are the "old" categories below that have now been superseded under the new "Flood Advices listed in the November 2006 "Flooding in Katherine" Brochure. (placed on web 15DEC06)

(Extracted from Katherine Flood Plan document 2002) (and a few modifications)

The magnitude of a flood is usually expressed in terms of a height on a known gauge. Examples of the anticipated depth of flood waters at Katherine locations are:

Predicted height 15.5 metres rising to 16.4 metres at the old Railway Bridge.

Flood waters are contained within the river banks. The Maud Creek crossing may be closed. Local floodplain runoff and a rise in the river level will close Gorge Road by about two metres at the Rocks (Morris Road), isolating rural residents

Predicted height 16.5 metres rising to 17.4 metres at the old Railway Bridge.

Some flooding will occur near the Gun Club and Florina Road creek crossing. The Stuart Highway south of Katherine will be affected, especially in the area of Tindal Creek where flood runoff may close the highway for short periods.

Flooding will occur along the western side of the Katherine River and the Rocks area as well as affecting property in the south Katherine Bicentennial Road area. Flooding will start to occur in the Gorge Road area, isolating the hospital.

Flood water will cover extensive areas of the Central Business District. Lower parts of the residential areas of the town north and south of the Stuart Highway will be affected. There will be an increasing flood run off into the CBD.
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Should the river height reach 20 metres at the old Railway Bridge, the flood level at the Post Office will rise to about 1.75 metres. The Central Business District will be closed.

Please be aware that the official readings do not correspond to the painted markings on the bridge. (Old saying - A man swinging from rope with tin of paint off Katherine Bridge is not always accurate)