Western Australia’s Kimberley outback towns are devastated by Cyclone Ellie

Outback cities have seen their worst flooding in history due to downpours from former Tropical Cyclone Ellie – as the government issues an emergency warning.

The Deluge inundated Fitzroy Crossing and nearby areas in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

Cyclone Ellie has brought sustained rains that have pushed the Fitzroy River to its highest level on record, causing houses to flood, turning streets into rivers and forcing residents to use boats to get around.

The Fitzroy River rose before a possible high of 15.7 meters on Wednesday morning.

Fitzroy Crossing in Western Australia’s Kimberley region has experienced the worst flooding on record

The deluge was caused by sustained rains from former tropical cyclone Ellie

WA Minister for Emergency Services Stephen Dawson declared an emergency situation and advised residents in flood-hit areas to evacuate immediately.

“This is a dangerous and rapidly changing situation,” Mr Dawson told reporters on Tuesday.

“We haven’t seen rain like this in at least a hundred years, so it’s kind of shocking to see the water as high as it is.”

He added that “emergency services have conducted a number of flood rescues for people in Fitzroy Crossing”.

Mr Dawson said 18 calls for help had been received from people in flood-hit areas.

“This is a dangerous and rapidly changing situation and more rain is expected over the next few days,” he said.

The Western Australian government has declared a state of emergency and warned residents to evacuate immediately

State Emergency Services Secretary Stephen Dawson said there had been 18 calls for help from people in flood-hit areas

Major flooding was also likely downstream at Noonkanbah. The Fitzroy River was at 40 feet (12.15 m) there and rising Wednesday morning.

Travelers in Derby have been warned to leave the area and go to Broome.

Defense personnel have been called to help evacuate the isolated residents.

Federal Emergency Services Minister Murray Watt said the Albanian government had agreed to a request from WA for Australian Defense Force aircraft and personnel to assist in the evacuation of residents from Fitzroy Crossing and surrounding areas.

Armed Forces personnel have been called in to help evacuate isolated residents after the federal government agreed to a WA request

Residents in the city of Derby and the parishes of Willare and Noonkanbah have been advised to evacuate due to flooding

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services said in a statement they would also be “bringing in more aircraft” to help with evacuation and resupply efforts.

Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Darren Klemm on Tuesday warned residents in the communities of Willare and Noonkanbah to head to higher ground as they would be flooded in the next 24 to 48 hours.

He said roads had been closed and it was too late to leave the region as the region faced a flood event “at least once in 100 years”.

Rain from ex-tropical Cyclone Ellie has drained between 200mm and 600mm since Saturday and is expected to deliver more widespread heavy falls in the week.