Cyclone Narelle Leaves Exmouth Isolated and Inundated in Western Australia
The coastal town of Exmouth in Western Australia has been left devastated and largely isolated in the wake of Tropical Cyclone Narelle, which tore through the region with destructive force over the weekend. Authorities are scrambling to restore power and repair critical infrastructure as the community grapples with the aftermath of this severe weather event.
Widespread Destruction and Flooding Reported
Cyclone Narelle unleashed 250km/h winds and dumped a year's worth of rainfall in a single day, causing extensive damage across the North West Cape region. Roofs were torn off buildings, homes were flooded, and power was lost throughout Exmouth, a popular tourist destination located approximately 1,250 kilometers north of Perth.
Local resident Craig Kitson described the scene as "pretty much devastation everywhere you look," adding that "the town has fundamentally changed" following what he called "a harrowing night" for many residents. Approximately 50 people had to abandon a local evacuation center when it sustained wind damage during the storm's peak intensity.
Infrastructure Damage and Ongoing Recovery Efforts
The cyclone's impact has left Exmouth effectively cut off from surrounding areas. The town's airport sustained extensive damage, while the main road into the community remains closed due to flooding. Regional energy providers have deployed additional workers to support local crews in restoring power to customers in both Exmouth and Carnarvon who continue to experience outages.
Work is also underway to repair damaged water infrastructure as authorities contend with minor to moderate flooding in the Lyons and Gascoyne river catchments. Water levels were expected to continue rising in some areas through Sunday, increasing concerns about further damage and accessibility issues.
Cyclone's Path and Energy Supply Disruption
After first crossing the coast in Queensland more than a week earlier, Cyclone Narelle tracked across Australia's north before moving down the Western Australian coast. The system weakened as it cut inland across the Gascoyne region, eventually moving off the state's south coast on Saturday evening after being downgraded to a tropical low.
The storm has exacerbated the global energy supply crunch by disrupting production at two of Australia's largest liquefied natural gas plants. Chevron Australia confirmed it is working to restore production at its Gorgon and Wheatstone facilities following weather-related outages. The Gorgon facility, located on Barrow Island north of Exmouth, is Australia's largest LNG export facility with annual production of 15.6 million metric tonnes.
Woodside Energy also reported production interruptions at its Karratha gas plant due to the cyclone, though production continued uninterrupted at its Macedon and Pluto facilities. The Wheatstone plant, which operates two processing units producing 8.9 million tonnes annually, was similarly affected by the severe weather conditions.
Weather Patterns and Future Concerns
As Narelle tracked south to Coral Bay and came ashore just south of the tiny town on Friday evening, it weakened to a category-three system before being downgraded northeast of Kalbarri and Geraldton. The storm recorded gusts above 120km/h in parts of the Gascoyne region alongside rainfall totals reaching up to 100mm, increasing the risk of flash flooding and additional road closures throughout affected areas.
With the cyclone now headed offshore as a subtropical low, recovery efforts continue in Exmouth and surrounding communities as residents assess the full extent of damage to their properties and livelihoods. The event serves as another reminder of Western Australia's vulnerability to extreme weather systems during cyclone season.
