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Hundreds of travellers are being bussed out of Exmouth in Western Australia’s north and the clean-up is well under way after Tropical Cyclone Narelle struck the state’s Coral Coast at the weekend.
State Emergency Services have confirmed more than 200 homes have been damaged after Narelle ripped through on Friday last week.
Four have been destroyed and eight other structures – including sheds, patios and buildings – have also been wrecked. A number are believed to have contained asbestos, and emergency services have warned locals and tourists to stay away from wreckage to limit potential exposure.
Learmonth Airport has been shut following the damage to its buildings and runways and major roads – including parts of the arterial North West Coastal Highway – have left tourists to travel via bus for more than five hours to fly out from Karratha.
Many travellers were staying in the lead up to Easter, which is typically one of the town’s busiest times, and have been provided help by the local shire to re-book flights to leave the Exmouth.
Rather than preparing for the busy long weekend, emergency services said on Tuesday they were working to clear Exmouth to begin clean-up work.
WA Premier Roger Cook is currently in Carnarvon surveying damage around the coral coast, and said the timing of Narelle would likely impact Exmouth for months to come.
“We know that a lot of these communities can’t take tourists at the moment, but it won’t take long for them to be ready to be ready to receive tourists and to be ready to receive tourist dollars,” he said.
“I want everyone to stay in touch with your local tourism operator or accommodation provider, and if you can please come to these areas as soon as possible, so that we can continue to see these tourism operators thrive.”
It is understood a number of cancellations have already been received from the Shire of Exmouth’s main camping spots and caravan parks, with tourists cancelling their Easter weekend plans in the destroyed town.
People’s Park in Coral Bay said it was beginning its own clean-up, but it would likely be closed until further notice.
“Our park and beloved community has been put through the wringer thanks to TC Narelle,” the park posted to social media.
“We are relieved to hear that everyone is safe … so far we can see that there’s damage to reception, fences, we’ve lost some trees, with other trees being cyclone pruned – needing a further safety cut.
“There’s also plenty of water and debris and heavy erosion. We haven’t been as hard as other towns including Exmouth and Karratha, so we’re feeling a little bit lucky and our thoughts are with them.
“Unfortunately we remain closed until further notice. The road into Coral Bay is also closed.
“The good news is that we have some trades and skilled workers that remained on site and in town through the cyclone, so work has already commenced.”
Tourism Council WA chief executive Evan Hall said it was important for tourists to hold on to upcoming future bookings, and not write the town off.
“Our message, particularly to all Western Australians, is keep your holiday plans,” he said.
“And if you are in a situation where you were planning to go to Exmouth or further north, don’t cancel … unless you absolutely have to. [You can] talk to your accommodation provider about postponing your holiday to another point in time.
“The worst thing for the industry is if we lose all the bookings.”
The clean-up of Tropical Cyclone Narelle would be similar to the impacts of the Fitzroy Crossing flooding in 2023, with the federal government already pulling the trigger on a number of relief payments that will be available to those impacted by Narelle’s aftermath.
The 2023 floods displaced hundreds of Fitzroy Crossing residents and decimated tourism in the region, after the famous Danggu Gorge National Park was all but destroyed.
Other industries are also expected to feel the impact of Narelle, with federal government authorities estimating about 70 to 80 per cent of fruit that had been grown in Carnarvon would be lost.
Assistant Minister for Emergency Management Josh Wilson was in the town on Tuesday and said he had visited and seen the damage growers had experienced firsthand.
“It’s a mixture of emotions when you’re in these communities,” he said.
“People [have been] put through the wringer of a fierce cyclone – the second-strongest cyclone after Vance.
“It’s really, really harmful to all kinds of parts of life – households, local governments, community services and businesses here in Carnarvon, particularly pastoralists and crop growers, and banana producers.”
Cook said authorities were working with locals up and down the Ningaloo coast to get a full picture of the cost.
“We are in the process of assessing the damage and getting help to people who need it most,” he said.
“We need to obviously be aware that there are some smaller and isolated communities, such as Coral Bay, where we need to get to as well, and we just ask people to continue to be patient. We’ll get to you.”
While power has been mostly restored to homes and businesses in Carnarvon, Horizon Power said restoring power in Exmouth would take time.
“Some areas may be without power for long periods due to access and safety issues,” a statement said.
“More teams arrived yesterday and today to help local crews.
“Western Power is supporting efforts with their helicopter for aerial inspections to speed up damage assessments.”
It is unknown how many houses remain without power.
Efforts also continue to be hampered by floodwaters which peaked on Monday, but are expected to continue to recede throughout Tuesday.
A number of main roads will continue to stay closed as a safety precaution, but emergency services said they had already been called to rescue dozens of people who attempted to drive through floodwater earlier this week.
The Shire of Exmouth has been notifying locals of the road closures, and said it had now turned its efforts to supporting locals as best as possible – including warning them about the influx of mosquitos currently plaguing the town.
“We have opened the Ningaloo Centre and are running a community drop-in office if you require any assistance or have questions, our team are here to help you,” a statement said.
The shire said locals could expect to see an influx of mosquitos as the floodwaters recede, and warned residents about taking proper precautions to prevent any spread of disease.
The Department of Communities is also based at Ningaloo Centre for anyone needing support, including with flood relief payments.
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