Cyclone Narelle: Exmouth clean-up begins as storm moves inland across WA

Residents in shattered WA coastal towns are just starting to grasp the scale of destruction left by tropical cyclone Narelle, with clean-up efforts in Exmouth ramping up.

The once-powerful category 4 system unleashed winds above 250km/h, tearing roofs from homes, cutting power and flooding properties as it smashed into WA’s north.

Emergency crews are assessing widespread damage across Exmouth, which was hit hardest by the cyclone.

There were 96 SES callouts in the Pilbara — mostly in Exmouth — and another 54 across the Gascoyne and Mid West.

Key infrastructure has been crippled, with Learmonth Airport shut until at least Monday after the terminal suffered major roof damage and water ingress.

Department of Fire and Emergency Services commissioner Darren Klemm said crews were working to reopen their airport as soon as possible.

“I understand there’s some roof issues and also water ingress,” he said.

“So early days yet. We’ll work through whatever we need to do to try and make that as quick as possible to get that reopened.”

The closure is expected to disrupt flights, including services from Qantas, as authorities scramble to restore operations, with the airport not expected to open until Monday at the earliest.

Narelle carved a destructive path down the coast, slamming the Pilbara and Gascoyne before crossing near Coral Bay and pushing south.

Towns including Carnarvon were also lashed, with destructive winds and bizarre dust storms reported as the system tracked inland and began to weaken.

With Easter marking the start of peak tourism season for the Ningaloo region, operators are staring down a financial hit just as business should be booming.

Ningaloo Lodge owner and deputy shire president Jackie Brooks said the impact was devastating.

“This is supposed to be our peak time of the year … all the businesses are going to be impacted substantially,” she said.

“With roads closed and the airport not bringing people in, it’s going to affect a lot of our tourism operators.”

Some accommodation is being used to house emergency crews, while damaged tourism hotspots — including stations like Bullara and Warroora — face significant repair bills.

Charter operator Craig Kitson said there was little point heading out to sea.

“The airport is closed and the water is brown… I’m just waiting for it to clear,” he said.

“We’ve already had cancellations … it’s going to be a lean year.”

Downgraded to an tropical low, the system has moved inland east of Geraldton but is still delivering damaging wind gusts up to 100km/h.

All cyclone warning zones have been cancelled but a severe weather warning remains in force across large parts of WA, including areas east of Perth and inland towards the South West.

Heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds continue to threaten inland communities, with impacts spreading through the Central West and into the South West Land Division.