Cyclone Narelle aftermath: Carnarvon set to be cut off by flood waters, Premier says don’t cancel travel plans

Fears of Carnarvon being cut off entirely due to dangerous flooding caused by cyclone Narelle have eased as reinforcements arrived from Perth and interstate to help clean-up efforts in Exmouth.

Despite the uncertainty, Premier Roger Cook has urged Easter travellers not to cancel any holiday plans.

Gascoyne River levels at Nine Mile Bridge peaked at 6.1m on Monday morning and began receding in the afternoon. Levels may drop below 5.5m by Tuesday morning.

River levels reached 8.1m at Fishy Pool, further upstream, late on Sunday afternoon.

Emergency services said river levels were continuing to ease across the Gascoyne and Lyons River catchments. People east of Boundary Road were “highly likely” to be affected by the floodwaters.

The evacuation site at Carnarvon PCYC remains open for those fleeing floodwaters.

More than 1000 properties are still without power in Exmouth as Horizon Power works to repair significant damage to the network. Parts of Coral Bay also remain powerless.

Exmouth residents were allowed to return on Monday, as a DFES Incident Management Team was stood up to respond to community requests for assistance.

The Shire of Exmouth also organised for flights which were due to depart or arrive at Learmonth Airport, or were cancelled, to be diverted to Karratha. Learmonth Airport was badly damaged in the cyclone.

About 65 tourists who stayed through the cyclone took a shuttle bus to Karratha on Monday, with another 50 or so due to follow on Tuesday.

Repairs are also underway on damaged water infrastructure, as the Water Corporation advised residents in Exmouth and Onslow to avoid non‑essential water use, including reticulation, washing machines, hosing down pavements, and showers longer than four minutes.

A 22-strong Storm and Floodwater SES team from Queensland has been sent to the region to assist with repairs.

Trucks carrying essentials like food, fuel and medication are now able to enter Exmouth in a sigh of relief for the town in which supplies were dwindling.

With clean-up efforts underway, the Premier urged people not to cancel their holiday plans, as regional tourism operators need the support more than ever.

“Please, everyone, don’t cancel your holidays. Phone your tourism operator, your hotel, your accommodation provider. See how they’re feeling . . . if you have plans and they can go ahead, please take the opportunity to go and spend your tourism dollars in regional WA,” Mr Cook said.

“It’s an important time of the year for them. It’s time that we all support each other, and, importantly, support our local tourism operators.”

Several major roads remain closed and the extent of the damage won’t be known until floodwater recedes.

Despite Mr Cook’s plea, the advice from emergency services is that people reconsider their travel plans.

The Premier will visit Exmouth on Monday afternoon to see the “trail of destruction” left by Narelle, alongside Emergency Services Minister Paula Papalia and Commissioner Darren Klemm. He will speak to locals at a town hall meeting.

“In the meantime, I want residents to know that we have your back. We will do everything we can to support you. We know it’s tough up there,” he said.

“Mercifully, we’ve had no reports of injury or death, but there is a trail of destruction and significant property damage, and we’ll do everything we can to make sure that you get back on your feet.”

He also urged road users to abide road closures following a rescue early on Sunday morning.

“If you’re advised by signage or by officials that you should not utilise a piece of road — do not,” he said.

“It can be dangerous to you. It can be dangerous to your family. It could be dangerous to emergency workers that may be called upon to assist you, so please just heed all the instructions.”

The Federal Government has since opened its disaster relief funding to West Australians, as it had with Queensland and the Northern Territory.

It will be available to residents in the shires of Exmouth, Carnarvon and Shark Bay, including emergency assistance for those in any immediate need who have to replace essential household items or make minor repairs.

“Residents will also have access to well-being services, and we stand ready to assist further, following additional impact assessments,” Federal Minister for Emergency Management Kristy McBain said.

“The impacts of ex-tropical cyclone Narelle have been incredibly destructive across Australia’s north and west coasts, and we’ll continue to work closely with all State and Territory governments as we move through response to the recovery phase.”

To stay up to date with the latest flood warnings, visit EmergencyWA online.

For more information on recovery efforts, including where to get help, visit DFES’ cyclone Narelle recovery efforts page online.