Cyclone Seroja two years on: Stakeholders and locals share their insights in their own words

Next Tuesday marks two years since cyclone Seroja tore through the Mid West, devastating communities and destroying hundreds of homes and buildings in its wake. Today there still remains much work to do to rebuild. In Part 1 of an anniversary series, hear from stakeholders and affected locals in their own words. MELISSA PEXTON Cyclone Seroja State Recovery Controller Disaster recovery support is a collaborative effort. It involves all levels of government, not-for-profits, businesses and community groups standing side by side with a common goal — to help communities devastated by a natural disaster recover and rebuild. This has certainly been the case in the response to Severe Tropical Cyclone Seroja. Let’s not sugar coat this. It has been extremely challenging. But nearly two years on, plenty of progress has been made with a lot of properties repaired. I was in the Mid West this week meeting representatives of the Shires of Morawa, Mingenew, Perenjori, Chapman Valley and Northampton and saw it first-hand. I also understand the complexities of recovery. Everyone’s journey is different. There is no defined end date. And there is still more work to be done. I am proud of the outstanding results delivered by the Community Recovery Hubs staffed by recovery specialists from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, the Department of Communities and the Australian Red Cross. Seroja was a traumatic experience for many people in the Mid West and the compassion and care provided for the wellbeing of these communities has been simply amazing. But the shining light has been the power of communities and the extraordinary resilience they have shown in the face of such devastation. Their courage has been inspiring. STEVE CABLE SES Kalbarri manager Seroja was declared the biggest natural disaster in WA history, with a profound impact on communities, businesses, finances and people’s wellbeing. Seroja spread its effects over towns and farms for 900km and all of us share the same journey. Of course, there is still anguish and frustration but there has also been a rebirth in some ways of our town, as many old houses have been demolished and new ones built. Damaged houses have had complete makeovers and much asbestos has been removed. Rebuilding is ongoing but the end is in sight for building infrastructure. The town has a fresh new look which has buoyed spirit and hope. Open space around the town has had little work but plans are in place and in the fullness of time our town will be magnificent and be showcase for all. Of course, the physiological impact of the cyclone is still felt by people and is a very personal thing. Financially people suffered and are still paying the price. There is help available for those in need but the system can be demanding. Tourism has returned and I get the impression that the cyclone story is part of Kalbarri’s attraction. It’s interesting to note the town, as a result of the cyclone impact, appears to have a strong sense of community which has helped meld the town as a community. Our commitment to our community and district has always been absolute, but Seroja has enhanced our commitment to each other as emergency responders, which results in well-co-ordinated response and commitment towards achieving our goals. Seroja has been a journey and will continue to be one for quite some time. It happened but let’s learn a few lessons from it, and build and plan for the future. KAT DEADMAN Kalbarri business owner Kalbarri boat hire and coffee van business owner Kat Deadman — who organised writing messages in the beach sand including “We Will Rebuild” in the days after the disaster — writes about the aftermath of Seroja two years on. For many, the Easter long weekend is a joyous time to celebrate with family and friends. For our business in Kalbarri, it is now a pertinent reminder of the most devastating natural disaster we have experienced. For Kalbarri, the Easter holidays were the tourism industries busiest time of year. The loss we estimated from the closure that weekend alone was more than $50,000. From the seven weeks during the recovery, and the damage, our loss would be in excess of $200,000. We have tried not to pay attention to the financial loss, but it has been exceptionally difficult to watch people not understand that Kalbarri is up and running again, and continues to lose income. We want people to know the town is ready to host them. We want people to see how much the town has to offer, and not be an afterthought. If people were to stay an extra night or two during their stopovers on longer drives up north, it would make such a difference to local business. There have been positive turns in the journey, and important lessons learned through the hardship. With the help of the $20,000 government grant we received, we were able to put in cyclonic roller shutters. The rebuild meant that our power was reinstalled and functions better than it did before. The recovery has been hard but we are able to look on the bright side. We are better educated and prepared. As a community, we are closer, stronger and more resilient than ever. PART 2: TUESDAY