Cyclone Seroja: ‘Resilient’ Northampton community get busy clearing damage from “terrifying” storm

Northampton residents were getting on with the mammoth task of cleaning up the mess left by Tropical Cyclone Seroja today.

Strong winds and rain hit the small town — located about 50km north of Geraldton — at about 6pm on Sunday.

Roofs and insulation littered backyards, downed power lines blocked access to the main street and fallen trees made driving an obstacle course as residents helped each other clear their properties of debris.

Many of the town’s iconic old buildings like the Sacred Heart Convent escaped the storm without a scratch, but the Railway Tavern had its roof completely peeled off and the Northampton Motor Hotel was also damaged.

The Northampton Pharmacy took some damage to its roof and a community exhibition centre located near Northampton District High School was completely flattened in the storm.

Residents were driving into Geraldton this morning in search of fuel and groceries, with the radio the only source of information due to ongoing power and internet outages.

Former Fremantle Docker Paul Hasleby said he drove from Perth this morning to his childhood home to help his family and friends clean up their damaged properties and businesses.

“Mum and dad have been affected with their family home, their roof is wrapped around the patio and my brother completely lost the roof to his house,” he said.

“I have just been working at the IGA which mum and dad part own as well, they had some generator problems and all the cold food has been thrown out to the tip because with health and safety regulations, we can’t do much with it.”

Mr Hasleby said he would do anything he could to support efforts to repair the cyclone damage, which he thought could take years.

“I will do as much as I can, this community has provided a lot for me throughout my playing career and anything I can do to give back, I will,” he said.

“They are a resilient community, there is no doubt about that.

“They will support each other but it is going to take some time… There are houses that have been fully knocked over that could take years to repair and farming loss and damage that has occurred to many of the sheds, that could take some time too.

“It is not going to be an easy period but I have full confidence this community will get through.

“They will rebuild, they will be positive after this.”

Mr Hasleby said the support of tourists would play a pivotal role in the recovery of Northampton and other small towns affected by the cyclone.

“People will go back to Kalbarri eventually, people will go out of their way to support this region through holidays in time,” he said.

The former AFL player’s parents Rich and Kerry Hasleby were spared damage to their local hardware store, which reopened to cash-paying customers in search of extra torches and parts this morning.

Mr Hasleby said the town had not been prepared for the severity of Seroja.

“We were probably not prepared for this devastation…we don’t get cyclones very often down here,” he said.

Mr Hasleby said the destruction to the recently renovated Railway Tavern had devastated locals.

“In the old days, it was the meeting place of Northampton,” he said.

“People are still shell-shocked.”

Landlord Matt O’Neil travelled from Perth to help his tenant Kaye Edwards prepare for the weather event, but the three-bedroom brick home did not stand a chance.

Mr O’Neil said he popped his head through the manhole when he started to hear tin tearing.

“The roof ripped off just as I went to have a look,” he said.

“It sounded like a freight train.”

The ceiling to Ms Edwards’ bedroom and the spare room completely caved in, with the woman now forced to find another home in an already tight rental market.

Northampton resident Gregory Cross continued to clear what remained of his home, which had its roof torn off sometime around 8pm on Sunday.

Mr Cross, his wife and two children sheltered under a mattress in the main bedroom until the storm passed and they were able to go to a family member’s house.

Mr Cross said the ordeal was “terrifying” and he had not expected the cyclone to be so severe.

“It was way worse, I never thought it was going to be that bad,” he said.

“We thought the house was going to lift and then the roof would have went first.”

Liberty Northampton owner Ricky Sah watched a tractor cart away pieces of his service station’s roof today.

Mr Sah did not know how long repairs would take, but hoped to be providing fuel to residents as soon as possible.