Supermarket shelves are bare in tropical cyclone-impacted northern Australia, with flooding cutting off freight routes.
Residents in Broome are some of the hardest hit by road closures in Western Australia’s northwest in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Zelia.
The system has been downgraded to a tropical low since it crossed the coast near Port Hedland on Friday but heavy rain is set to persist for days, further impacting isolated communities.
Roads have been cut across the region including the Great Northern Highway which connects the northwest with WA’s south, ensuring no fresh supplies for many including in Broome.
Broome Shire president Chris Mitchell said contingencies were in place to have trucks arrive via South Australia and the Northern Territory.
“I believe the shelves are fairly bare,” he told AAP.
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“I am not sure how long the highway [to the south] will be closed but we can get stuff in from the territory and South Australia.”
The full extent of flood damage caused by Zelia is not expected to be known until water levels recede.
The shire president of Australia’s largest local government area, East Pilbara, said it could be 10 days before local flood levels fall.
Road closures are a concern for East Pilbara Shire which is larger than Victoria and Tasmania combined, featuring more than 3,000 kilometres of unsealed roads.
Residents in the shire’s inland communities including Marble Bar and Nullagine are expected to be cut off for days.
Authorities are working hard to ensure the shire’s outer communities receive supplies amid ”widespread“ flooding.
“The wider shire, they are ones that are impacted. People can’t get in or out—that’s a concern for us,” East Pilbara Shire president Anthony Middleton told AAP.
“Normally in a week to 10 days we sort of know where we are sitting with the water receding, then it’s recovery and making sure our dirt roads are accessible for our communities.
“There’s just over 3,000km of dirt road network. We have eight graders ready at any time so we will prioritise them and go from there.”
Heavy rainfall inundated the region with Coolenar Pool fed by the De Grey River near Marble Bar peaking at nine metres – reportedly breaking a 25-year record.
Cr Middleton said the latest flooding highlighted the need for road upgrades in his shire.
“It’s widespread flooding out here but this is not uncommon for us. This is the third time this year we’ve had roads cut off,” he said.
“This is another example of our road requiring upgrades.
“Trying to get supplies to communities in our area—that’s the challenge we face every time we have unprecedented rain.”
A flood “watch and act” warning is in place for the De Grey catchment including East Pilbara’s Marble Bar and Nullagine communities.
“You need to prepare for isolation as flooding is occurring,” it said.
“There is a possible threat to lives and homes due to dangerous, widespread flooding.”
One of the world’s largest iron ore hubs, Port Hedland, has reopened after being closed for days in preparation for Zelia’s impact with mining giants including BHP indicating no major damage to their sites.
Severe thunderstoms are forecast for WA’s southern interior and east of the Goldfields district.
