Cyclone Narelle

Tropical Cyclone Narelle has caused widespread damage across parts of Western Australia coast. The coastal town of Exmouth has experienced significant structural impacts, with some houses partially destroyed and debris scattered across streets. Public facilities, including evacuation centers, were also affected by the severe conditions. 

ALERT™ subscribers can download similar stochastic event (SSE) IDs for Cyclone Narelle’s impacts in Western Australia from the Downloads tab of this posting on the ALERT website. Compatible with Touchstone® and Touchstone Re™, the SSEs were selected based on the event’s track, minimum central pressure, estimated winds, forward speed, and landfall angle, with a focus on impacts in Western Australia. They should only be used with exposures in Australia.

Infrastructure was heavily disrupted by the cyclone. Power outages affected large numbers of residents, and in some areas both electricity and water supplies were cut for extended periods. Roads were blocked by fallen trees and floodwaters, isolating communities and slowing emergency response efforts. Transport services were also impacted, with flight cancellations and school closures across the region adding to the disruption of daily life.  Beyond wind damage, Narelle dropped prodigious rainfall, with 197 mm at Barrow Island, 180 mm at Varanas Island, and 157 mm at Upper Portland.

So far, Narelle has traveled more than 5,700 kilometers since it formed as a system near the Solomons, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Only two other cyclones this century have affected Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Western Australia – Ingrid in 2005 and Steve in 2000, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Narelle is now a BoM category 2 storm as of this writing, and the weakening trend should continue as the storm accelerates to the southeast over the next 24 hours. 

While no additional ALERT postings are currently planned, our team is still monitoring impacts in Western Australia. If additional updates are warranted, we will provide an update next week.  In the meantime, please contact your Verisk representative with any questions about this event.