Northern Territory Police say 29 people displaced by flooding in the Tanami Desert region have been returned to communities after widespread flooding bogged cars and left motorists stranded.
Aerial searches had earlier located several bogged vehicles in the Tanami region north-west of Alice Springs, prompting police to establish an emergency coordination centre to help return home people believed to have evacuated the vehicles.
Police said a fresh aerial sweep on Thursday of the Lajamanu and Tanami roads located 11 vehicles and 18 people at the Suplejack Creek intersection, while 11 people were returned home to communities from the Tanami Mine Camp.
The aerial search, conducted just days after a busload of 18 people became stranded in the Tanami, came as police received 40 reports of motorists stranded along a 200-kilometre stretch of Lajamanu Road.
Police said people reported to be displaced by flooding were from the remote communities of Lajamanu, Yuendumu and Willowra.
On Wednesday, search crews spotted more than 10 bogged vehicles across the flood-affected region, though they were not able to distinguish which cars were newly stuck and others which had been abandoned for some time.
The desert region was hit by heavy rains earlier in the week as ex-Tropical Cyclone Esther swept through Central Australia, with Suplejack, a nearby cattle station, recording nearly 200 millimetres in 24 hours.
Southern Division Police Commander Brad Currie urged motorists to check up to date road reports before travelling in the region.
"The severe weather event is over, but it does not mean roads in the area are open," he said.
"We advise anyone planning to travel to ensure they check road conditions and closures prior to travel via the NT Road Report website and not to drive through flooded causeways or rivers."
Though rainfall has stopped in southern parts of the NT, many unsealed roads currently remain closed, including the Plenty Highway, Sandover Highway, Maryvale Road and Santa Teresa Road.
It is estimated they will take several days to dry out.
