Tropical Cyclone Ellie formed on Wednesday 22 December 2022, bringing significant rainfall to the Northern Territory. On 29 December, the system moved into the Kimberley Region as a tropical low, producing heavy rainfall and flooding throughout the central Kimberley over the next 10 days.
Ex-TC Ellie’s sustained rainfall caused major flooding of the Fitzroy River, with the river reaching unprecedented levels on 2 January 2023 at Fitzroy Crossing, as well as several smaller rivers including the Barnett and Lennard.
The floods resulted in significant damage to nearby infrastructure, communities and townships and major disruption to the lives of many Kimberley residents.
The State Government has been working closely with impacted local government, communities, businesses and industries to help residents of the region clean-up and recovery from the Kimberley floods natural disaster.
To find out more about the recovery process, read the Kimberley Floods State Recovery and Resilience Plan.
There are a range of grants and support programs to provide assistance to those affected by this event.
For more information about what support is available, head to https://recovery.dfes.wa.gov.au/recoveries/kimberley-floods-recovery
To stay updated on the latest news regarding the Kimberley floods, join the Kimberley Floods Facebook Community page here, read the information provided by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services here and you can also read the latest media releases provided by the Government of WA.
This has been a difficult time for the Kimberley region. However, amidst the difficulties, the region has witnessed an outpouring of support from emergency management partners, volunteers, and the community. This has served as a silver lining to an otherwise tough situation.
Stay informed with all of the latest news, events, grants and projects from the Kimberley Development Commission. Don’t hesitate to call us with any queries or comments you may have.
