Thread: Flash flood alert for rainy Centre

Flash flood alert for rainy Centre
By LEE STEHBENS
16dec05
WARNINGS of possible flash flooding have been issued for Central Australia with more showers expected today.

Alice Springs residents flocked to the Todd River yesterday to watch it flow for the third time in two months.

An Alice Springs weather forecaster warned of possible flash flooding.

"With thunderstorms and heavy falls there's always the possibility of flash flooding for a short time," the forecaster said.

But there were no alerts from the NT Flood Warning Centre late yesterday, with the Todd River near Anzac Oval running at a high of 1.42m at 1.21pm yesterday -- below the minor flood level.

A spokesman for the Department of Natural Resources, Environment and the Arts said there was no reason to be alarmed because the river was not at a dangerous level.

The forecaster predicted showers and storms today, clearing late this afternoon.

Alice Springs Airport was drenched by 20mm of rain up to 3.30pm yesterday after getting only 2mm up to 9am.

A rain gauge at Eastside recorded 14mm up to 9am yesterday, with that figure expected to rise further when it is next checked today.

The normally dry Todd River flowed in mid-October and again on

November 3.

Yesterday people braved the rain to watch the water creep along the riverbed and under the Stott Terrace bridge.

Causeways crossing the river were shut because of the strong flow.

This month 37.8mm of rain has been recorded at Alice Springs Airport.

Resident Penelope McDonald said she could not believe the river was flowing again so soon.

Her co-worker Merrilyn McIver has lived at Alice Springs for 35 years and said that she could not remember the river flowing so often.

She said: "It's great. We've had the drought and it seems to have broken."

Ms McIver said that in 1972 Roe Creek -- on the Stuart Highway near Alice Springs -- flooded and cut the town off.

She said motorists were allowed into the nearby Pine Gap spy base.

"It was one of the very few times the space base let people inside because people were stranded," Ms McIver said.

http://www.ntnews.news.com.au/common...E13569,00.html
floods in Alice.. whats next?