Disaster assistance has been activated for Pilbara communities to help them access financial support as they begin to recover from Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia and the subsequent flooding.
Support has been made available for the City of Karratha, Town of Port Hedland and Shire of East Pilbara under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA).
While emergency services are still examining the full extent of the damage, early assessments indicate the cost of recovering from the weather event will be significant.
Floodwaters have caused damage to major road networks in the region and there will be a significant clean-up operation to remove debris from impacted communities.
Federal Minister for Emergency Management Jenny McAllister said the support activated today will help councils clean up and begin the recovery process.
"This includes repairing damage to the road network and ensuring community safety," Minister McAllister said.
"While it may be some days before we understand the full impacts, especially since flooding is still occurring, we want to support councils as quickly as possible."
"We will continue to work closely with the Western Australian Government in the coming days and weeks to understand how we can support communities through this event and into recovery."
Western Australian Minister for Emergency Services Stephen Dawson acknowledged the tireless work of emergency services and the volunteers in preparing for and dealing with the impacts of the cyclone.
"I visited Port Hedland immediately after the cyclone passed and the community is extremely grateful for the work of emergency services that responded to this cyclone," Minister Dawson said.
"They were extremely well-prepared in providing early warnings, distributing sandbags and closing roads, and that certainly helped to mitigate the impacts of a very destructive cyclone."
"However, the focus has started to turn to helping communities recover and the DRFA has been activated to ensure they are supported through that journey."
