On April 11 and 12, Cyclone Seroja wreaked destruction off the coast of Western Australia. Kalbarri, Monkey Mia, Karratha and Northampton were among the communities ravaged by the tropical cyclone.
Over 31,0001 people were without power as Seroja battered the coast. For almost two hours, residents cowered, finding protection where they could while the cyclone tore roofs off buildings, felled homes and community centres, ripped roads and jetties apart, leaving devastation in its wake. The region had last endured winds of up to 170km in 1956. Approximately 70% of buildings and property in Kalbarri were destroyed2. Water services were disrupted for over a week after the cyclone hit land, with damage to tanks and non-potable water supplies3. Damage to critical infrastructure by Cyclone Serajo can be related to a lack in building to cyclone standards, given the 50 year gap in ravaging storm4.
The two main roads into Kalbarri were opened following a three-week period of restrictions where access was limited to critical recovery personnel and residents. As of early May 2021, the recovery phase was being managed at a local level, with emergency services and the community working with infrastructure and energy providers5. Western Power reports that, as of 18th May, a remaining 280 homes without power. More than 2600 power poles have been repaired or replaced across the communities, and the township of Kalbarri is now fully powered by Western Power. Work in areas such as Geraldton and Northampton are almost 100% complete6.
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1 Sourced: https://www.westernpower.com.au/community/news-opinion/cyclone-seroja-power-supply-updates
2 Sourced: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/12/cyclone-seroja-cuts-power-to-thousands-in-western-australia
3 Sourced: https://mingenew.wa.gov.au/shire-news/tc-seroja-community-information-session-overview-20-april-2021
4 Sourced: http://media.bom.gov.au/releases/829/severe-tropical-cyclone-seroja-final-update
5 Sourced: https://dfes.wa.gov.au/mediareleases/Pages/MediaRelease.aspx?ItemId=884
6 Sourced: https://www.westernpower.com.au/community/news-opinion/cyclone-seroja-power-supply-updates
