Hundreds are stuck in northern Australia as Tropical Cyclone Megan evacuations are stopped

Toronto, March 19 – Following the cessation of evacuation attempts due to Tropical Cyclone Megan, hundreds of residents of a remote area of northern Australia find themselves stranded.

In the thinly populated Northern Territory of Australia, Tropical Cyclone Megan has made landfall, bringing with it storm surges, heavy rain, and wind gusts of up to 200 km/h (124 mph).

The storm made landfall on Australia’s mainland late Monday, near the remote town of Borroloola on the southwestern edge of the Gulf of Carpentaria, after hammering island communities for several days.

However, when the storm got closer to the mainland, worries about damaging winds and significant flooding along a number of isolated settlements subsided.

The Australian Defence Force’s planes were unable to land because of the storm conditions, therefore the planned evacuation of about 700 inhabitants of Borroloola before to the arrival of the cyclone was cancelled.

Instead, residents were told to seek shelter at the police station, a medical facility, or other buildings able to endure the wind gusts from the hurricane.

The circumstances led to the cancellation of the McArthur River Mine evacuation as well.

across the course of the weekend, a storm that passed across isolated Gulf of Carpenteria island villages brought down trees and caused flash floods, resulting in about 600 mm of rain falling at Groote Eylandt.

One of the ships transporting gasoline and manganese from the GEMCO manganese mine on the island wrecked the dock. There was no leak, according to the local police, and efforts were on to remove the ship off the wharf.

Tuesday’s cyclone is expected to move further inland and to the southwest before weakening into a tropical low in the morning, bringing with it heavy rain and the potential for flash flooding in some areas of the Carpentaria region.

The Australian Bureau of Meteorology stated that gusts of wind exceeding 90 kph (56 mph) and a 24-hourly total of up to 200 mm were expected in the affected area.

Recently, there have been multiple cyclones in Australia. Tropical storm Jasper made landfall on the northern Queensland state coast in December. It was the first tropical storm of the Australian season, which runs from November to April in the southern hemisphere.

After Tropical Cyclone Kirrily pounded coastal cities and towns in January, with wind gusts reaching up to 170 km/h (106 mph), thousands of people were left without electricity for days.

No injuries, minimal damage reported in Borroloola

The weather prevented two Australian Defence Force (ADF) planes sent to collect roughly 700 inhabitants from landing safely on Monday, so plans to evacuate the area were shelved.

Locals were advised to stay in the neighbourhood and locate a secure location to take cover as the cyclone passed.

According to preliminary indications, there had only been minor damage and no injuries in Borroloola, according to a statement released by the NT government agency SecureNT on Tuesday morning.

“Overnight reports indicate that all residents are safe, with no injuries and in good spirits,” according to the statement.

“Minimal damage, primarily in the form of fallen trees, was reported within the community.”

The SecureNT statement stated that on Tuesday, the damage’s degree would be further examined.

“This morning, the local controller will assess the safety of the airstrip for landing purposes,” read the statement.

Some residents of Borroloola have voiced disapproval of the town’s evacuation plan, claiming that the NT and federal governments have put residents at risk by moving too slowly to implement the plan to fly them out.

Senior Garawa leader Keith Rory stated that many people had been cut off from their homes by flooding and had gone hours without food when the plan to collect hundreds of residents at council offices for an evacuation was cancelled on Monday morning.

In brief of Tropical Cyclone Megan:

Ex-Tropical Cyclone Megan is currently located roughly 75 kilometres southeast of the isolated town of Borroloola and has been reduced to a tropical low.
On Monday, the system moved across the NT coast as a category three system before quickly weakening over land.

What comes next : Tropical cyclone Megan?

For the remainder of this week, the low is expected to steadily travel west over the NT, bringing with it a lot of rain and the potential for flooding.