Residents of Port Hedland and Karratha choosing to stay behind as Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia edges closer to the coastal town are worried the monster cyclone brewing off the coast will be like nothing they’ve ever seen.
Residents of Port Hedland and Karratha choosing to stay behind as Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia edges closer to the coastal town are worried the monster cyclone brewing off the coast will be like nothing they’ve ever seen.
By Claire Ottaviano and Sarah Brookes
February 13, 2025 — 5.01pm
Residents choosing to bunker down in their homes as Severe Tropical Cyclone Zelia makes its way towards the Pilbara coast have spoken of their fears the cyclone will cause widespread damage if it directly impacts the coastal towns.
Father of three and Port Hedland local Zach Green said heavy rain and strong winds had begun to worsen since Cyclone Zelia’s rapid intensification from a category 3 cyclone to a category 5 on Thursday morning.
“We’ve been preparing by cleaning up outside, tying stuff down and getting and placing sand bags,” he said.
“We did a big shop at Woolies during the week and have pulled our outdoor cooking equipment inside to be ready to cook if the power trips, which it has started doing already, and we’ve got our satellite phone when signal goes.”
Green, along with wife Bobbi Lockyer and three of their four sons, decided to remain at home with their pets, which are not allowed at the evacuation centre set up in South Hedland.
“This is my first big cyclone up in Port Hedland but my wife, who has been here her whole life, is very well prepared,” he said.
“She saw [Cyclone] George (2007), Veronica (2019) and Ilsa (2023), but this is the one she’s been most scared of because it’s been so unpredictable.”
Both Karratha and Port Hedland are at risk of direct impact.
The Bureau of Meteorology said the system’s path remained unpredictable and problematic, with thousands of residents along the Pilbara coast bracing for its impact.
It’s expected to generate wind gusts up to 320km/h, and dump more than 500 millimetres of rain in the worst affected areas.
High tides and already overflowing river catchments could also compound major flooding in coastal areas prompting roads into the region to be closed.
Green, a travelling chef and business owner and Lockyer, 2021 NAIDOC Artist of the Year, said their first concern after the storm subsides will be heading out to check on Aboriginal elders in South Hedland and surrounding communities.
“What we want to tell people is be kind to one another at this time,” he said.
“Everyone deals with natural disasters in their own way … when you prepare for imminent danger on your life, it sends hysteria in the community, but we need patience and understanding, we’re going to get through this.
I’ve been through cyclones before in Cairns but never a cat 4 or 5, fear is the mind killer
Stephen Whale
“There are people that have been here their whole life that are sticking together as a community and showing community spirit.”
Local Stephen Whale moved to Port Hedland in September last year and cautioned “courage” was needed to weather a category 5 cyclone.
He said he was hopeful his 40-year-old home would survive the cyclone given it remained intact after Cyclone George in 2007.
“I’ve been through cyclones before in Cairns but never a cat 4 or 5, fear is the mind killer,” he said.
“There’s a lot of people who will say how easy it is and get drunk for three days straight to avoid feeling that fear and anxiety.
“Stay sober so you can feel it and be of use to your household and neighbours if they need a hand.”
Whale said residents trying to buy supplies from supermarkets had left it too late with empty shelves at many stores.
“My preparation strategy is solid, there needs to be nothing loose in the yard, tie everything down even the garden hose,” he said.
“Literally everything could be a projectile but luckily the majority of people here will have there stuff packed and secured by the end of today.”
Former Karratha resident Cindy Newhouse said people she had spoken to in the town had never seen anything like the monster cyclone brewing off the coast.
She said many residents were helping friends and family prepare ahead of its 8pm landfall on Friday evening and others were leaving town, especially those with young children.
“People are worried it will smash the town and that the Whim Creek pub won’t survive the cyclone,” she said.
“Residents are scared because they know the slower the cyclone moves towards the coast the more it intensifies.”
Newhouse experienced Cyclone Damian in 2020 and said it was impossible to drive down the street in the aftermath.
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Claire Ottaviano is a breaking news journalist with WAtoday, and has extensive experience in local government reporting.
Sarah Brookes is a journalist with WAtoday, specialising in property and government and is the winner of four WA Media Awards.Connect via email.
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