Report on flooding in the Kimberley region February/March 1993.

Cover title

The monsoon season in the Kimberley of Western Australia in early 1993 resulted in the most widespread flooding to occur in the region for many years. Two separate weather systems, spaced a matter of a few weeks apart, resulted in the communities in the Kimberley being isolated from normal supply sources in the south of the state twice in a short period of time. For a short period Kimberley communities were unable to rely on surface means of transport from the alternative road route through the Northern Territory. The flooding also required the evacuation of the residents of a number of communities and the rescue of travellers in transit in that part of the state. The resultant operation to resupply isolated communities and to affect evacuations of people stranded due to the flooding required significant expenditure of funds from State and Commonwealth sources. The operation highlighted the fact that, while many communities and individuals were well prepared for this recurrent event, many were not. Action needs to be taken to ensure that all communities in the Kimberley are well stocked prior to the next monsoon season and are better prepared for these recurrent events