Between late December 2017 and mid-February 2018, the Shire of Broome in Western Australia was impacted by three tropical cyclones and a tropical low. These events brought strong winds and torrential rain to Broome and other parts of the state’s north-west. The event represents an opportunity to share learnings with other disaster-prone communities.

Tropical cyclone Joyce formed north of Broome on 11 January, before tracking south and making landfall in the far south-west Kimberley the following day. Joyce weakened to a tropical low on 13 January, moving through the Pilbara and Gascoyne regions and then offshore. The tropical low produced heavy rainfall that impacted several communities in the Kimberley, Pilbara and Gascoyne; some locations recorded their highest daily or monthly rainfall on record for January.

On 23 January, Joyce was proclaimed eligible for disaster relief funding under the WANDRRA.

A tropical low developed in the Gulf of Carpentaria on 20 January and travelled across the Northern Territory and the Kimberley in Western Australia over the second half of the month. Combined with a vigorous monsoonal flow, the low brought heavy rainfall, damaging winds and flooding across northern parts of Western Australia. Broome Airport reported multiple rainfall records for 1-day, 5-day and January monthly totals during the event, and experienced Australia’s wettest day for January 2018 with a 439.4 millimetre downpour.

There were over 80 calls for assistance in Broome; several communities in the western Kimberley were isolated due to flooded roads. On 9 February, the event was proclaimed eligible for disaster relief funding under the WANDRRA.