Published on Wednesday, 8 April 2026 at 4:24:28 PM
The Shire of Exmouth is reopening to visitors after tropical cyclone Narelle severely impacted the region on Friday, 27 March 2026. The community and surrounding coastline were significantly affected by the damaging system, and the town has remained closed due to restricted road access, power and water outages.
The Shire, State Emergency Services, and Department of Fire and Emergency Services have been working tirelessly alongside the community and supporting agencies to recover and rebuild.
Roads and flights into Exmouth have officially reopened today for visitors to enter the renowned tourism destination, less than two weeks after the cyclone made landfall. What stands out most is the rapid recovery progress already made in this short time frame and the resilience of community spirit. However, as the town is only just transitioning from incident response to recovery, the Shire asks visitors to please ensure they have confirmed accommodation prior to arriving, as many businesses and accommodation providers are still rebuilding and operating with limited availability.
Some areas of the town continue to experience power and water outages, with significant damage to caravan parks and campgrounds forcing continued closures until later in the month. Welcoming visitors back is a decision not made lightly. The Shire of Exmouth is working closely with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services Disaster Recovery team to ensure the re-opening process is done with minimal negative implications for the recovering community and landscape.
As Main Roads WA lifted the road closures this morning, Deputy Shire President Jackie Brooks said:
“We welcome visitors back into Exmouth to continue sharing the many wonders our town and coastline have to offer; however, we ask that you visit with respect for the continuing recovery and ongoing efforts to rebuild the town. Please ensure your accommodation and tour providers have confirmed your booking before arrival. At this time, we ask for your cooperation, understanding and patience. The best thing you can do to support Exmouth and Ningaloo is to keep your booking with tour providers, reschedule if needed, confirm accommodation before anything else, tread lightly and spend locally when you visit our still recovering region.”
Visitors are welcome and encouraged to support the region by ensuring they have secure accommodation booked before committing to their holiday plans, keeping in mind that the community and landscape are working to return to normal and availability of accommodation and essential resources remains limited.
Exmouth is a community built on small local businesses with passionate operators and people who care deeply about the community and nature. If you are planning to visit the region but are unable to secure accommodation at your previously planned date we remind you that the best time of year to visit Exmouth is only just beginning, choosing to reschedule instead of cancelling helps the region continue to open in a staged and sustainable approach whilst maintaining the ability to providing unique, one of a kind experiences to visitors.
The Shire, together with recovery partners, sincerely thanks the community and visitors for their patience and understanding during this challenging period. Acknowledging that, as a tourism town, our town relies on visitors to support local operators and residents, alongside the impacts this closure has had on tourists' holiday plans.
As we transition into the next phase of recovery, our priority remains ensuring the Exmouth community is well supported.
The Department of Communities, Australian Red Cross, State Emergency Service, and Department of Fire and Emergency Services are working collaboratively with the Shire to provide expert recovery support and services on the ground.
The reassurance and guarantee we can give is that the wildlife and community here are resilient, and whilst there have been many tragic impacts, the natural environment and wildlife have already shown remarkable recovery, with the reef and range remaining full of vibrant life, resembling remarkable adaptation and renewed life force. Exmouth now looks forward to opening the door to continue sharing what the region is renowned for and hopes to see you soon.
Media:
| Aerial views show nature is thriving and adapting to normal already. Credit: Shire of Exmouth, taken 06/04/2026.
|The Shire of Exmouth has been working closely with the Australian Red Cross and the Department of Communities to offer community support following Tropical Cyclone Narelle in Exmouth. Credit Department of Communities.
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