An Emergency Operation Centre has been set up in Alice Springs to coordinate a multi agency response to localised flooding across the Tanami Desert region.
Severe weather including strong winds and heavy rainfall from ex Tropical Cyclone Esther has impacted upon remote communities and access roads in the Tanami Desert region resulting in localised flooding and road closures.
Police continue to conduct inquiries in relation to a number of unconfirmed reports of stranded motorists along the Lajamanu and Tanami Roads since ex tropical cyclone Esther swept across the area on Sunday night.
Tanami Mine Camp workers and remote police officers conducted a land search of the area and located a group of 18 people who had become stranded along the Lajamanu Road and Tanami Road turn off a result of localised flooding, on Sunday night.
Two contractors were also stranded by flood waters in the area on Sunday. The pair waited for the flooding to recede before returning to Alice Springs
Commander Southern Command, Bradley Currie said it was pertinent for people in remote communities to stay off the roads and out of flooded causeways during this time.
"As a result of the severe weather event there are a number of road closures in the Tanami Desert region and we expect as the weather system moves south east over Central Australia, there will be further road closures to access roads.
"People in these areas are urged to stay in community and more importantly stay off the roads, which simply pose the risk of motorists becoming bogged and stranded in a remote area.
"We do encourage community members to check in on their loved ones and make sure they ok, or to alert police to any family who were travelling in the region and have failed to reach their intended destination."
"We have received multiple reports of motorists being stranded in the area, however as a result of the weather we haven't been able to deploy aerial assets and we've been limited in our land search capabilities."
An aerial search of the Tanami Desert region will be carried out this afternoon with a land search of the area planned for tomorrow.
"The weather is expected to clear up within days and so evacuations are not expected, however within the EOC we are identifying what services are expected to be impacted as a result of road closures," said Commander Currie
