Sydney - Hundreds of people were evacuated as floodwater swamped an Australian outback town yesterday. Police and emergency service workers moved about 600 people to higher ground around the Northern Territory town of Katherine, saying the floods could prove to be the worst in 40 years.
Katherine was cut off by road after flood waters washed across the highway linking it with the nearest major settlement, Darwin, 300 km to the north, and Alice Springs, 1,200 km to the south.