Cyclone Tracy caused the largest ever evacuation and reconstruction operations in peacetime Australia. Major General Alan Stretton led the emergency response, establishing committees for critical needs and coordinating with police, military, and volunteers.

A state of emergency was declared, requiring that everyone, except men of working age, leave the city until further notice. By 31 December a total of 35,362 people – or three-quarters of the entire population – had been evacuated to other cities: 15,950 in civilian aircraft, 9,678 in military aircraft, and 9,734 by road. Over the next 6 months a permit system regulated all movement in and out of the city.

It took 5 years for the city to get back to its 1974 population levels. In 2024 the population was over 140,000.