Outback Rains Expected to Revive Kati-Thanda/Lake Eyre
As much of Australia’s interior braces for one of the biggest rain events in recent years, those in the north of our state are taking to the skies — with sandbags arriving in William Creek by plane.
The tiny outback town, a stone’s throw from Kati-Thanda/Lake Eyre but miles from anywhere else, is preparing for more flooding after parts of the township and airstrip were underwater just weeks ago.
While there may be no shortage of sand in William Creek, there’s nowhere locally to acquire sandbags. So, in keeping with the town’s aviation theme, supplies were sourced from the SES in Coober Pedy and flown in to help protect the iconic William Creek Hotel from the likely deluge.
Extended Rain Raises Isolation Concerns
Outback icon Trevor Wright — publican, chief pilot of Wrightsair and unofficial town mayor — says the forecast is unprecedented.
“William Creek has never seen seven consecutive days of rainfall forecast, and it’s significant falls too. The low pressure system is just sitting there,” he said.
“This will be the first time we’ve seen this amount of rainfall across the Simpson Desert. Northern SA will be awash.”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, spirits remain high.
As of Tuesday afternoon, William Creek had already recorded 37mm of rain.
“My staff are rafting down the main street,” Trevor laughed.
There is, however, a more complex side to the looming weather event. For a community that is isolated on the best of days, extended rainfall brings challenges around access and supplies.
“The biggest issue we’ll have is assessing the conditions of the roads once it’s over,” Trevor said.
“As well as the logistics of getting in supplies like fuel and food. Our solar power generation isn’t much use when it’s overcast for a week either.”
Meanwhile, Lake Eyre Begins To Stir
But with adversity often comes opportunity. Trevor expects that once the roads dry out and tourist season kicks off, William Creek Hotel and Wrightsair will be swamped with visitors keen to witness the flooding of Kati-Thanda/Lake Eyre from the air.
“I reckon it’ll be bigger than ’74,” he said, referencing the 1974 rain events that led to the lake reaching a record depth of six metres.
“The localised flooding, as well as what’s happening out in the Channel Country, will make for an incredible season for the lake — not to mention the wildflowers.”
The scale of the rainfall is already being felt on the ground.
Truck Driver Airlifted As Conditions Deteriorate
Truck driver Wayne Phillips, travelling some 250 kilometres south of William Creek along Borefield Road, was caught out by deteriorating conditions on the weekend and forced to abandon his return trip from a mine site.
“The bosses called and said I probably couldn’t drive out of there,” he said.
“So rather than risk damaging the roads or getting stuck somewhere, I stayed put.”
With road conditions worsening overnight, the only safe retrieval option was by helicopter after a night spent in the truck.
“I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it was a good flight,” Wayne said.
“To see the country I’ve driven through so many times from a different angle was pretty incredible. We only sat at about 1,500 feet below the clouds, but the puddles were everywhere.”
“It was only when we came down to land that I realised the puddles were actually about the size of the MCG!”
With the outback set for a drenching over the next week, many eyes will be on the nation’s interior.
To keep an eye on conditions while staying dry, check out William Creek Aerodrome’s live Skycams.
