In Flooded Australia, Crocs ‘Absolutely Everywhere’

Authorities in Australia’s Northern Territory are issuing a blunt warning as severe flooding hits the region: stay out of the water.

“There are crocs absolutely everywhere,” police incident control acting commander Shaun Gill said Sunday, according to 9News, after what he described as “independent reports” of people swimming in swollen rivers. Officials say saltwater crocodiles are currently “most active” in the floodwaters.

Police say more than 1,000 people have been evacuated across the Northern Territory after several days of heavy rain. The town of Katherine is experiencing its worst flooding since 1998, and three deaths have been reported, according to The Guardian.

At least 90 homes have lost power, and several schools remained closed into Monday, CBS News reported. Authorities are urging residents not to “do something silly” by swimming in floodwaters, warning of both powerful currents and heightened crocodile activity.

The Northern Territory is home to more than 100,000 crocodiles, including saltwater crocodiles that can grow longer than 20 feet and weigh as much as a ton.

Not everyone caught in the flooding has a choice about getting wet. In the community of Beswick on Sunday, police used a boat to rescue a 40-year-old man who had been clinging to a submerged tree in fast-moving water after becoming exhausted, according to CBS News.