Record floodwaters cut the Kimberley in two

Much of the Kimberley could be inaccessible for more than a week after the highest flood waters in memory.

‘Looks like we’re swimming’ … a mob of whiptail wallabies surveys the rapidly rising Fitzroy River near Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia following heavy rains. Picture: Andrea Myers

The northern West Australia town of Fitzroy Crossing has been completely cut off and much of the Kimberley could be inaccessible for more than a week after the ­region was inundated with the highest flood waters in memory.

Rain dumped by ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie has lifted the Fitzroy River to its highest level on record, overwhelming houses and infrastructure built to withstand the ­region’s annual wet season.

Footage captured by locals show Fitzroy Crossing’s main bridge submerged and appearing to bow under the weight of the floodwater.

The bridge is the main ­artery connecting the East Kimberley to the West Kimberley and the Pilbara and is a key part of the only sealed road in and out of WA’s north. Trucks that would typically travel from Perth through Fitzroy Crossing and on to Halls Creek and Darwin will need to add a ­detour of more than 2000km to their journey and instead detour through South Australia until the bridge is restored.

Residents of Fitzroy Crossing and several remote Indigenous communities have been evacuated, while dialysis patients are being moved to Broome in the ­region’s west.

The southern road into Broome is also expected to be cut off for a week as the West Kimberley suffers flooding.

Department of Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm said the flooding and damage to the Fitzroy Crossing bridge meant the town was now only accessible via helicopter.

A snake avoids the flooded Fitzroy River. Picture: Andrea Myers

The department is in talks with Defence and civilian contractors over bringing in more helicopter services to help with evacuations and the delivery of supplies.

“I don’t think anyone ever ­envisaged where we would see the water running over the top of that bridge,” he said.

“It is terrible and it’s going to take a long time for that water to recede.”

Fitzroy Crossing resident ­Andrea Myers took a photograph of more than a dozen kangaroos clustered on a small outcrop just above the flood. She says the water level has risen by at least another metre since then.

She says the house she lived in when she first moved to the town in 2016 is under water, and many of the homes built to withstand 100-year floods are inundated.

“Some of the people who have been here forever are saying they have never seen a flood this high,” she said. “It’s just water as far as you can see.”

The river at Fitzroy Crossing was at almost 15.3m by Tuesday afternoon, according to the ­Bureau of Meteorology, well ­above the 2002 peak of 13.95m.

State bureau manager James Ashley said water levels were still rising and the system was expected to continue dumping rain until Thursday.

Record-breaking flood levels have also been recorded in Menindee, in NSW’s far west. The NSW State Emergency Service on said the Darling River was at 10.2m and could rise to 10.7m by Thursday. The previous high of 10.47m was recorded in 1976.

Ten properties have been evacuated, while another 20 owners have decided to stay.