User:Storm05/Tropical Storm Clare

Tropical Storm Clare (also known to Australian forecasters as Tropical Cyclone Clare) was a strong tropical storm that struck Western Australia on January 9, 2006. Clare was the first named storm of the 2006 Southern Hemisphere Tropical Cyclone season for the Western Australian Basin.

Clare produced heavy rainfall across Western Australia causing moderate flood damage. However despite the flooding there were no reported deaths or injuries from the tropical storm.

Storm history
Clare formed from a tropical low north of the Northern Territory on January 5. The storm moved parallel to the coast where it reached tropical storm strength on January 7. The storm then reached a peak pressure of 960 mbar, which is low for a tropical storm and peak wind speed of 70mph before making landfall near Dampier on January 9. After making landfall, Clare weakened to a tropical depression on the 10th and dissapated the following day.

Preparations
When Tropical Storm Clare, approached the coast, about 1,500 people were evacuated and oil production facilities were closed. The approach of the storm also shut down many mining operations and cancelled flights.

Impact
Clare caused considerable damage to the western Australian coast (most of it from inland flooding) but no deaths. When Clare made landfall, the town of Dampier experienced high winds for nearly two hours and gale force winds for nearly sixteen hours. Costal areas experienced wind gusts up to 110 mph According to newspaper reports, many of the small coastal towns escaped major wind damage. However, the storm knocked down powerlines, disrupting communications. The remnants of the storm, that moved southwards, however, caused extensive flashflooding. The Northwest Highway and many other roads were completely flooded. In many inland areas, about 224mm (8.7 inches) of rain fell in a 24 hour period. Many of the hard hit areas were the towns of Walkaway and areas around Lake Grace. The residents of Walkway, prevented the flooding from becoming worse by building a make shift levee.

Tropical Storm Clare also made landfall during low tide, so there were no reports of any storm surge related damage. Ten surfers were caught off guard by the storm when they ignored warnings and went out in the threating conditions. They realized that it was dangerous and tried to swim back but the conditions proved to be too difficult for them and as a result, they had to be rescued by police.