Arabic version: عودة سكان ناوييو إلى منازلهم بعد بدء تنظيف الفيضانات
According to ABC News,
Residents in Nauiyu on the banks of the Daly River have returned to their homes after the remote Northern Territory community was evacuated due to flooding earlier this month. Some say while they are glad to be home, there is still a lot of work to be done before the clean-up is complete.
The repatriation process concluded over the weekend with the last bus arriving just before 3 PM on Saturday. Most of the town’s roughly 350 residents were evacuated from the community to Darwin after the river reached the major flood level of 14 metres more than two weeks ago. While residents are relieved to be back, they face a considerable clean-up effort as many homes experienced water damage, with some reporting knee-high floodwaters.
Emergency management agency Secure NT assisted around 450 people from Nauiyu throughout the flooding, and essential services such as power and water have been restored over the past week. However, signs of the disaster linger, with mud and debris still evident in the community.
Local residents expressed mixed emotions upon their return. Some, like Jamie Leigh, are grateful to be home but acknowledge the hard work ahead to restore their living conditions. Others, such as Mathew Cronin, are excited to resume their daily activities, including fishing in the river they cherish. Local government services, including waste management and aged care, are expected to resume from today as the community begins to recover from the recent disaster.
