Western Australia's Kimberley region is facing a substantial clean-up operation after ex-Tropical Cyclone Luana made landfall over the weekend, causing serious damage to infrastructure including a popular coastal resort.
Cyclone Impact and Damage Assessment
The Category Two cyclone struck the Dampier Peninsula approximately 180 kilometres north of Broome at around 2pm on Saturday afternoon, bringing destructive winds and heavy rainfall to the coastal community. The system subsequently weakened to a tropical low as it moved southeast, passing south of Derby by Sunday morning.
Among the most significant damage reported was to the Mercedes Cove Exclusive Coastal Retreat, a luxury accommodation property that sustained substantial structural impacts during the storm's passage. Photographs circulating on social media platforms reveal extensive roof collapse with insulation materials and debris scattered throughout the affected building.
Community Response and Clean-Up Efforts
Emergency services have mobilised across the Kimberley region to address the aftermath of Cyclone Luana. Department of Fire and Emergency Services personnel confirmed that the system continued to weaken as it moved inland at approximately seven kilometres per hour, though significant rainfall continues to affect interior regions.
Kimberley Superintendent Leon Gardiner reported that damage appeared concentrated around Derby, where emergency crews responded to twelve separate incidents involving fallen trees impacting residential properties. State Emergency Service volunteers from both Derby and Broome have been actively working to clear vegetation and make affected areas safe for residents.
Remarkably, the clean-up effort has received support from an unexpected source with thirteen minimum-security prisoners from West Kimberley Regional Prison assisting SES officers in clearing debris and restoring access to affected areas.
Weather Warnings Continue
The Bureau of Meteorology has issued ongoing warnings for heavy rainfall and potentially damaging wind gusts across Western Australia's interior regions. Meteorologists anticipate that the remnant tropical low will continue moving southward through inland areas over coming days, bringing substantial precipitation to the Pilbara and southern interior districts.
"Heavy rainfall which may lead to flash flooding is likely around southern parts of the Kimberley and the North Interior," a Bureau spokesperson cautioned, noting that six-hourly rainfall totals between seventy and one hundred twenty millimetres remain probable in affected zones.
Recovery Challenges Ahead
This weather event marks the third cyclone to impact the Kimberley coastline since November, following closely after Cyclone Hayley's passage just weeks earlier. The repeated severe weather incidents have placed considerable strain on local communities and emergency response resources throughout the region.
While structural damage to the Mercedes Cove resort represents a significant economic impact for the local tourism sector, authorities have emphasised that no emergency support requests have been formally lodged at this stage. The broader community now faces the challenging task of recovery as heavy rainfall continues to threaten flooding in already saturated catchments across Western Australia's northern regions.
