On the evacuation of coastal communities affected by the Sept. 6th Typhoon Warning Center (JTC) storm Hedland-Wallal Downs

Australia uses a five-tier system to categorize cyclones, a different system to the Joint Typhoon Warning Center which earlier clocked Ilsa’s winds at 215 kph (134 mph), making it the equivalent of a category 4 Atlantic hurricane.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) says that winds of over 300 kilometer per hour will hit the region between Port Hedland and Wallal Downs, during a time when it is expected to be Thursday afternoon or Friday morning.

As the storm approached on Thursday, coastal areas were put under a red alert, meaning people needed to stay in place and shelter within buildings, well away from windows and doors.

Communities in the coastal areas should be prepared to ride this one out. Todd Smith is the hazard Preparedness and response manager for the north and west and he hopes that inland communities are ready for impact from tomorrow.

Emergency shelters have been opened to give people from remote communities the chance to be evacuated if there is a chance of being hit by the wind or flooding.

The populated areas did not get hit as badly as the coastal areas, although there will be damage along the coast.

Emergency services implored people to lock up anything that might take flight hours before Ilsa was expected to make its predicted landfall.

“Winds of this strength are extremely dangerous. Not only can they bring down trees, power lines, and damage roofs and houses, but they can also lift large loose objects from your yard – boats, trailers or caravans – and loft them into the air,” said BOM’s senior meteorologist Miriam Bradbury.

The high-speed storm of March 22nd is still there: Port Hedland, Australia, is the largest bulk export port in the world

The largest town near the storm’s eye is Port Hedland, home to around 16,000 people. Aboriginal communities, cattle stations, mining sites and tourist operators are also dotted around the area.

Many paths will become muddy or even unavailable in the next few days as a result of the flooding.

The storm surge was up to six meters high, but the storm missed some populated areas and brought down trees.

The storm is moving southeast across the states, bringing heavy rains and high winds of more than 100 miles per hour.

Just before it hit the mainland, Ilsa sped over Bedout Island, a tiny uninhabited island, where its sustained wind speeds reached 218 kph (135 mph) over a 10-minute period.

“Cyclone George was the previous record holder with 194 kph back in 2007 at the very same location!” the BOM tweeted. Overnight, wind gusts on the island, which is a breeding ground for seabirds, reached as high as 288 kph (179 mph).

The wind gusts sounded like a freight train according to the mayor of Port Hedland. He thinks the town was lucky and it’s still here.

Port Hedland is the world’s largest bulk export port and is used to ship large volumes of iron minerals to countries such as China, Japan and South Korea. The Pilbara PortsAuthority said the port was reopened Friday after safety checks.

Will Batth, the roadhouse owner, was in a shipping container when he discovered a broken oil canister at Pardoo

Early Friday, reports emerged of “great damage” at Pardoo Roadhouse, a popular destination for travelers on the highway along the coast. One of its owners, Will Batth, told the ABC that he had been through four hours of hell, and then sought shelter in a shipping container.