Residents of the Dampier Peninsula in Western Australia's Kimberley region are waking up today to survey the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Luana, which made landfall yesterday. Striking the peninsula, located over 2,000 kilometers north of Perth, at around 2 PM, Luana initially reached category two strength before weakening to a category one as it moved southeast later that night.
But here's where it gets controversial... While the cyclone is expected to diminish below tropical cyclone status this morning as it progresses further inland, the region can still anticipate substantial rainfall. Derby and the southern parts of the Dampier Peninsula are likely to experience continued heavy downpours throughout the day. As the system advances southward, the rain is projected to extend into more inland regions as well.
In Derby specifically, power restoration efforts were underway, with a timeline set for 3:30 AM today after over 350 customers of Horizon faced outages the previous night.
In a surprising twist, Beagle Bay community CEO Henry Augustine expressed that Luana's impact fell short of expectations when compared to ex-Tropical Cyclone Hayley, which had hit during the New Year period. "People were far more anxious the second time around, but this storm was considerably less intense than Hayley," Mr. Augustine remarked. He added, "I anticipated something on the same level as Hayley, but it turned out to be quieter—just a bit of wind and a lot of rain. In hindsight, I was somewhat panicking, yet it turned out to be a bit of an anticlimax."
The sequence of these two cyclones has served as a significant wake-up call for the local community. Augustine noted that many more residents chose to evacuate this time, opting for safer shelters elsewhere. "After experiencing such uncertainty, it’s important to stay alert. The situation can change rapidly and unpredictably."
Across the western side of the Dampier Peninsula, residents reported fierce weather conditions characterized by strong, howling winds. One resident, Roma Peurtollano from the remote area of Chile Creek, shared her experience of sheltering at home with her frightened dog. "It was quite terrifying going through it all. The wind was just insane," she recounted, adding that she had not yet ventured outside to assess any potential damage.
Interestingly, Peurtollano felt that Tropical Cyclone Luana was indeed stronger than Cyclone Hayley, which had passed through back in December.
As the situation develops, a warning zone remains active for coastal areas in the southern King Sound region, including Derby, alongside a separate severe weather warning for neighboring areas within the Kimberley. Emergency services are urging residents to keep a close watch on weather conditions, exercise caution while traveling, and avoid driving through any flooded roads.
At present, Cape Leveque Road, the primary route leading up the peninsula from Broome, is closed from McGuigan Road. Similarly, Gibb River Road between Kimbolton Road and Pentecost River is also inaccessible.
For continuous updates, residents are encouraged to visit Emergency WA at https://www.emergency.wa.gov.au/, contact the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) at 133 337, download the Emergency WA app, or tune into ABC Kimberley at https://www.abc.net.au/listen/live/kimberley.
