The Australian Defence Force (ADF) will help evacuate residents from the central Kimberley as authorities continue to deal with the fallout from ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie.
The town of Fitzroy Crossing, about five hours east of Broome, has experienced record-breaking flooding from the system, which has damaged the main arterial bridge and several homes, and caused significant stock losses at nearby cattle stations.
Authorities are running evacuations by boat and helicopter, with an evacuation centre set up at the town's recreation centre for residents fleeing the rising water levels.
Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt confirmed ADF aircraft and personnel would evacuate residents from Fitzroy Crossing and surrounding communities to Broome.
WA Department of Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm said his organisation was working alongside the ADF to relocate residents that needed to be evacuated from Fitzroy Crossing.
"Two C130 Hercules aircraft will will be available tomorrow," he said.
"However, weather conditions and flooding to get to airports are creating numerous logistical problems."
Evacuees take shelter
Nandi Chinna is still in Fitzroy Crossing, with her home at a higher point in the town's centre.
"Anyone with a boat has been out helping and the SES are out helping as well," she said.
"We took some dry clothes down to the evacuation centre yesterday … they've got a whole lot of temporary cots and mattresses there. They've got some fridges and food, tea and coffee.
"I'm just making a cake to take down there. I'll be going down a bit later to have a look how it is today because a lot more people would have come in last night.
"There's constant helicopters. Yesterday, it felt like a war zone."
Department of Fire and Emergency Services Superintendent Steve Longo said the Fitzroy Crossing Recreation Centre was at capacity as an evacuation facility.
"I believe 70 to100 people," he said.
"The rec centre is near to capacity at present, so we will need to look at identifying other evacuation centres in other locations.
"Food is high on our list to ensure people's welfare. We will work to fly in food from the East Kimberley as required over the next two days."
Superintendent Longo said despite this, all Fitzroy Crossing residents were safe.
"To my knowledge, everyone is accounted for — crews have been working throughout the past few days to ensure everyone's safety," he said.
"Our key concern is everyone's safety and we certainly are in the response stage.
"Noonkanbah and Willare are our next concerns — we are urging people in those communities to get to higher ground."
WA Country Health Service sites Regional Director Rex O'Rourke said emergency response procedures had been activated, but all medical centres and hospitals in the region remained operational.
"We have moved high-risk patients from Fitzroy to Broome and are working very closely with staff on-site to make sure they’re safe," he said.
"All of our sites — including Fitzroy Crossing — remain operational and have sufficient supplies of medicine and pharmaceuticals."
Broome and West Kimberley downpours
With the tropical low moving west, Broome and Derby have experienced heavy rainfall overnight.
Bureau of Meteorology community information officer Patch Clapp said the West Kimberley could expect flooding on Wednesday.
"The low has moved westward a little faster than expected overnight but has now stalled east of Broome," he said.
"There are really intense winds and damaging wind gusts.
"We are expecting possible isolated falls of around 200 millimetres through today, which could lead to dangerous flash flooding in the West Kimberley. The winds are very extreme, particularly around the Dampier Peninsula."
Broome International Airport chief executive Craig Shaw confirmed all flights in and out of the Kimberley town had been cancelled for Wednesday — with the situation to be reviewed on Thursday.
Infrastructure damage
With flooding across the Kimberley, infrastructure such as roads and bridges have experienced significant damage.
Main Roads WA operations director Peter Sewell said the Fitzroy Bridge remained in place, but was damaged.
"We can't get anywhere near the structure until the water recedes, but clearly there is a failure in pier 2 and pier 3," he said.
"We have structural engineers on stand-by in Perth to fly in early next week. I've never seen that [15.6m level] before and I've been with Main Roads for almost 50 years."
Mr Sewell said the Willare Bridge was also being monitored
"Downstream at Willare, the bridge is another one we are a bit concerned about," he said.
"This morning it is about three metres below the deck level. We are doing some hydraulic modelling and expect it to be high as well. We're not sure if it will go under, but clearly it will go close to the top of that bridge."
Mr Sewell said Cape Leveque Road and the Great Northern Highway between Broome and Derby would likely be closed on Wednesday afternoon.
"Those two roads will close some time today I'm sure."
Supply chain disruptions
While flooding along the Great Northern Highway often causes transport delays during the wet season, damage to the Fitzroy Bridge could see parts of the central and east Kimberley cut-off from the rest of WA for weeks.
Western Transport Federation chief executive Cam Dumesny said alternative arrangements were being made to ensure supermarket shelves across the north remained stocked.
"The retailers — the IGAs, Coles and Woolworths — are usually pretty quick on redirecting their supply chains," he said.
"They'll either supply out of potentially Adelaide or Darwin.
"To be able to supply from Perth … [it would be] by probably Port Augusta, Katherine and then into the east Kimberley that way."
Mr Dumesny said wet season flooding across other parts of northern Australia would make adjusting supply routes more challenging.
"We've obviously got damage now to the Victoria Highway through Timber Creek as well. We've got damage on the Stuart Highway … We've got flood impacts on the Barkly Highway," he said.
"We've got to do something about making our supply chains more climate resilient."
