Winds of up to 170km/h were recorded at Karlbarri, north of Geraldton on the WA coast, overnight after the cyclone hit just after 7pm (AWST).
More than 167mm of rain fell over the region in 12 hours, prompting warnings of flash flooding.
Nine reporter Darius Winterfield, in Karlbarri during the storm, detailed how the roof on his balcony was torn away, and that some residences had been “smashed flat”.
“Water is flooding in through the windows and the main roof is rattling very loudly … we’ve lost power and have little phone reception, we are considering options if the roof goes,” Winterfield said.
However, thankfully, there were this morning reports of only minor injuries.
The damage to the town was extensive, with the SES estimating at least one-fifth of homes had lost roofs.
Winterfield said the resort town looked like “a bomb had gone off”.
“The trail of destruction is widespread,” he said this morning.
“Almost everywhere you look, it seems as though no structure has been saved from the wrath of Tropical Cyclone Seroja.”
There have been numerous reports of structural damage in areas near and to the north of Seroja’s landfall location.
“So scary hiding under mattresses with my wife n 2 (sic) boys” was how Joel McIntyre described his experience on the Kalbarri Info Noticeboard on Facebook.
“In Northampton and have some one’s roof against back shade house wall,” said another post by Helene Parker.
In Geraldton, tens of thousands of people remain without power, while powerlines and trees were blown over.
However, Nine reporter Mia Egerton-Warburton said the town had not been hit has hard as Karlbarri.
The system’s fast movement across Western Australia has allowed tropical cyclone impacts to extend well inland. Southern Cross had recorded a wind gust of 93km/hr by 4.30am (AWST) today.
Heavy rain and potentially damage winds will continue to spread over parts of the Wheatbelt and Goldfields into Monday morning. A severe weather warning is even in place down to the state’s South East Coastal and Eucla districts.
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) has declared an all-clear for Geraldton, though red alerts remain in place for south of Carnarvon to Lancelin, including the Shires of Shark Bay, Northhampton, Chapman Valley, Morawa, Mingenew, Three Springs, Perenjori, Irwin and the townsites of Denham, Coorow, Carnamah, Moora, Paynes Find, Jurien Bay, Lancelin, Wongan Hills and Dalwallinu.
People in red alert areas are asked to stay in their homes until the all-clear comes from the DFES.
This content first appear on 9news