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Update 15: Flooding Katherine and Wugularr (Beswick)

6:00pm Wednesday 11 March 2026

Emergency warnings are in place for Katherine Township and Nitmiluk.

Boil Water alerts are in place for Katherine, Wugularr (Beswick) and Tindal.

Residents should be prepared for possible power outages during the flood.

Waste management

The Katherine Waste Management Facility is currently closed to the public.

Katherine Town Council is working to get council services up and running as quickly as possible as the community bounces back from the flood. Kerbside bin collection is as per usual. Please ensure only kitchen and household scraps are placed in the bin.

White goods, furniture and construction-related materials will be managed separately. Skip bins will be placed across impacted areas to support safe disposal of these items, with locations and dates to be confirmed.

Shelters

The following Katherine emergency shelters are open to public:

ShelterLocation
Katherine High School Grevillea Street, Katherine East
MacFarlane Primary School Grevillea Street, Katherine East
Casuarina Street Primary School Corner Casuarina Street and Needham Terrace, Katherine

It's important to know:

  • Shelters are not catered.
  • Bring at least 3 days of food and drinking water, medications and essential supplies.
  • No alcohol, no smoking and no cooking allowed.
  • Bring your own bedding.
  • Do not bring your pets. Leave your pets at home with food and water. Do not tie them up at home.

Where residents do not have access to essential supplies, and cannot access essential supplies from family and friends, the Welfare Group is onsite to assist.

Financial assistance

Disaster assistance has been activated for residents within the Katherine Town Council area only (this does not apply to Wugularr/Beswick residents) following an Emergency Situation declaration and major flooding that has impacted the town.

The Australian and Northern Territory governments are jointly providing support under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) to assist residents affected by flooding in Katherine.

Residents whose homes have been directly impacted may be eligible for Category A, Personal Hardship and Distress Assistance (Immediate Relief Payments) and Re-establishment Measures.

  • Immediate relief payments will be available to residents of Katherine Town Council area affected by floods to:

    • assist residents experiencing personal hardship as a result of the flooding
    • help with the immediate impacts of flooding.

    Payments will be made in a phased approach to prioritise those households experiencing the greatest impact.

    This includes immediate relief payments of $611 per adult and $309 per child, capped at $1,537 per family, with payments made via a pre-paid debit card. For information about how to use your pre-paid card, see pre-paid card limitations PDF (204.0 KB).

    Residents include those that reside in the area for work purposes, but their permanent residence may be elsewhere.

    Payments will be prioritised for households most affected, including those whose homes were inundated.

    Please do not come to the payment centre until advised. Please see below for first stage priority phasing.

    For Katherine residents whose homes have been inundated and are staying at an Emergency Shelter/Evacuation Centre

    • Payments commenced 12 noon Tuesday 10 March and will continue from 10am Wednesday 11 March from the Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts & Culture Centre, LOT 3238 Stuart Hwy, Katherine East.
    • Please ensure you bring relevant ID (see ‘How to apply’ below).

    For Katherine residents whose homes have been inundated and staying elsewhere

    • Priority payments will commence from 10am Wednesday 11 March from the Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts & Culture Centre, LOT 3238 Stuart Hwy, Katherine East.
    • Please ensure you bring relevant ID (see ‘How to apply’ below).
    • If you cannot get to the centre due to road closures, you will not miss out on your payment. Follow advice from Road Report NT before travelling.

    For Katherine residents staying at an Emergency Shelter/Evacuation Centre

    • Priority payments will commence from 9am Thursday 12 March  from the Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts & Culture Centre, LOT 3238 Stuart Hwy, Katherine East.
    • Please ensure you bring relevant ID (see ‘How to apply’ below).

    For all other Katherine residents

    • Advice on payment centre opening times and locations will be confirmed soon.

    We thank the community for their patience during this time.

    How to apply:

    Affected residents must apply at the Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts & Culture Payment Centre between 9am and 5pm weekdays. Applications will be processed based on priority groups outlined above. Eligible residents must bring:

    • photo ID (e.g. drivers’ licence)
    • proof of residence (recent rental agreement, rates notice, utilities bill, letter from employer)
    • proof of family status (e.g. Medicare card or Centrelink).

    Centrelink will be onsite to assist. Payments will be made from the Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts & Culture Centre, LOT 3238 Stuart Hwy, Katherine East.

    Payments will no longer be processed from Katherine High School.

  • Further assistance may also be available to replace essential household items, with eligible households able to receive up to $8,843.

    This assistance is means tested and there are limits on claims.

    This may include support to repair or replace essential household items, such as:

    • beds and bedding
    • furniture
    • refrigerators
    • washing machines
    • other whitegoods
    • basic household items.

    Eligibility assessment and payment options will be finalised once damage assessments can be completed.

  • Eligible flood-affected residents in the Katherine Town Council area may receive $340 per adult and $172 per child, capped at $1,160 per family to reimburse the cost of short-term temporary accommodation while they are unable to return home. This assistance is means tested.

    How to apply

    Payments are made via reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses up to $1,160 per family. Affected residents can apply:

    • in person at the Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts & Culture Centre between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday
    • an online form will be available soon.

    Eligible residents must provide:

    • a tax receipt for out-of-pocket accommodation expenses in the name of the applicant (including ABN and GST details)
    • photo ID (such as drivers’ licence)
    • proof of residence (recent rental agreement, rates notice, utilities bill, letter from employer)
    • proof of annual income (payslips, tax statements or Centrelink statements).

    Income limits apply

    Payments are means-tested, and income thresholds apply. Please see below for income thresholds.

    Personal hardship and distress means testGross income threshold
    Single adult – no children$65,189
    Single adult – with children$84,189
    2 Adults – no children (joint income)$103,189
    2 Adults – with children (joint income)$122,190

  • The DRFA also supports the NT Government and local authorities to undertake:

    • counter-disaster operations
    • debris removal
    • emergency works
    • restoration of essential public infrastructure.

Schools and government offices

Schools and government offices in Katherine remain closed with some limited school reopenings from Thursday 12 March.

Kintore Street School O’Shea Campus (Years 7–12) and the Katherine Flexible Learning and Engagement Centre (KFLEC) will reopen from Thursday 12 March. Students from these sites can return to their school programs.

Kintore Street School’s Kintore Campus, Families as First Teachers (FaFT) and preschool programs remain closed at this time.

To support families as Katherine recovers from flooding, pop-up schools remain in operation.

Pop-up schools

  • North side pop-up will operate at Clyde Fenton Primary School and support students from Clyde Fenton Primary School and students in Year 7-9 at Katherine Highschool.
  • South side pop-up will operate at Katherine South Primary School and support students from Katherine South, Casuarina Street and MacFarlane Primary Schools. Students in evacuation centres that are not enrolled in a Katherine school can also attend this program.
  • Year 10-12 pop-up will operate at Katherine School of the Air and support students in Year 10-12 from Katherine High School.

Pop-up schools will operate from 8:15am to 2:45pm.

These arrangements are in place until Friday 13 March 2026.

  • Families are responsible for transporting their children.
  • School bus services are not currently operating.
  • Please drive carefully and avoid flooded roads. If it’s flooded, forget it.
  • Students must bring their own lunch.

Students currently in evacuation centres will have transport and lunch provided, with buses departing at 8:00am.

Government schools

The following government schools in Katherine remain closed or partially closed:

  • Casuarina Street Primary School
  • Clyde Fenton Primary School
  • Katherine High School, including Katherine Flexible Learning Centre
  • Katherine School of the Air
  • Katherine South Primary School
  • Kintore Street School (Kintore Campus only – O’Shea Campus has reopened)
  • MacFarlane Primary School.

Remote schools

The following remote schools across the Big Rivers region remain closed:

  • Jilkminggan School
  • Mataranka School
  • Nganmarriyanga School - read more about Palumpa
  • Woolianna School - read more about Daly River
  • Wugularr School.

Students from Nganmarriyanga and Woolianna schools are currently attending pop-up schools in Darwin and Palmerston.

Road update

Stuart Highway update

The Stuart Highway remains CLOSED both north and south of Katherine - between the Pine Creek turn‑off and Emungalan Road, and between the Katherine weighbridge and Central Arnhem Road.

Reopening the highway is a priority, but first crews need to assess the condition of the road and bridges to ensure it is safe for travel. Engineer teams are assessing the Katherine River Bridge and other areas this morning.

Katherine roads updates

Katherine main street remains closed. Detours are in place for local traffic in the CBD.

All levees have been removed. Stuart Highway northbound lane remains closed due to required repair works.

Chambers Drive is open.

The Bicentennial Loop Road is open.

To help keep traffic flowing:

  • If you are travelling from Katherine East to the CBD, please use Bicentennial Loop Road.
  • If you are travelling from the CBD to Katherine East, please use Chambers Drive.

Road users are asked to comply with all traffic management and signage.

Stay updated with the latest advice from SecureNT and the Road Report NT website.

Power and Water

Major flooding has caused extensive disruption to Power and Water services in Katherine and several remote communities.

Restoration begins with large and critical infrastructure repaired first, followed by smaller infrastructure, then individual homes. This means the largest number of people are safely reconnected in the shortest time possible.

If your property has water damage, the service line to your home has come loose or the connection point where the service line joins your property is damaged, you must contact an NT-licensed electrician to check your wiring before Power and Water can reconnect your power.

They will lodge a Certificate of Compliance, which lets crews know your property is safe to reconnect.

You can find further information about service connections and the regulations around compliance PowerWater website.

Boil water alert

Heavy rainfall and flooding in the area may have impacted the water supply system.

The Department of Health has issued a Boil Water Alert for the communities of:

  • Katherine
  • Wugularr (Beswick)
  • Tindal.

Use cooled boiled water or bottled water for:

  • drinking
  • preparing food
  • preparing baby formula
  • brushing teeth.

Medical care in Katherine

NT Health has established a mini Emergency Department at the St John Ambulance headquarters in Katherine located at:

Lot 3159 Chardon Street
Katherine
08 8973 9211

Anyone experiencing a health emergency needs to Call Triple Zero (000) immediately.

For other health related enquiries, contact Health Direct on 1800 022 222.

Katherine District Hospital

All patients from Katherine Hospital have been evacuated to Darwin.

Family and friends of evacuated patients are required to remain in Katherine at a safe place as the Stuart Highway is closed due to flooding on either side of the Katherine township and it is not safe to travel.

NT Health staff will keep you informed of your loved one’s condition and will keep you updated of any changes.

Individuals residing in staff accommodation at the Katherine Hospital precinct have been told to leave the area and go to a safe place.

Staff have emergency plans throughout the wet season and are well placed to make these arrangements.

Plans are in place accommodate and inform locum staff and their agencies about potential flood impacts and to make alternative arrangements.

Sandbags in Katherine

NT Emergency Service crews in Katherine have sandbags for residents to protect their homes and businesses during the flooding.

You can pick up sandbags from 14 Chardon Street, Katherine.

If community members require sandbags, you can attend NTES Katherine or call 132 500.

Page last updated 12 March 2026

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