residents in Western Australia heeded warnings of the impending cyclone. By 6 April, the Bureau of Meteorology had issued storm warnings for areas between Port Hedland and Exmouth. State Emergency Services throughout the threatened areas were put on high alert. Several offshore oil platforms were shut down and evacuated on 6 April and did not reopen until 15 April. Hours before the storm made landfall, the State Emergency Services stated that "Gwenda potentially had the destructive power of Cyclone Vance", and urged residents to seek appropriate shelter. Shortly before the storm struck, Len Broadbridge, director of the Western Australia Bureau of Meteorology declared, "Port Hedland is now in grave danger." Despite the cyclone's strength, its effects were relatively minor. Winds up to were recorded in Port Hedland, leading to minor structural damage. The police in Port Hedland reported severe damage to one house, but no deaths or injuries. Emergency crews were sent to the northwest coast of Australia to assist in cleaning up damages, but found no "major incidents" or significant damage as a result of the storm. A group of five people on a camping trip in the Outback were stranded by the storm, when heavy rains swept away their vehicle. The group "would have perished", but one of its members hiked non-stop for twenty four hours to a manganese mine where he contacted rescuers. In a 12-hour span, Port Hedland recorded of rain, well-above the average April precipitation total of . Towns in the Pilbara region of Australia received heavy rainfall, amounting to in some places. Carlindi picked up the greatest rainfall total of . This rain caused localised flooding, especially in Nullagine where the river traversing the town broke its banks. The rainfall contributed to a long-term cooling effect in northern Western Australia, leading to below-average temperatures for much of April. At its peak Gwenda was the strongest storm on record to form near Australia, surpassing Cyclone Orson in 1989. Gwenda held this record until 2003, when its maximum winds were eclipsed by Cyclone Inigo. Despite the minimal damage, the name was retired from the circulating lists of tropical cyclone names for the Australian Region. See also Cyclone Mahina Cyclone Monica - Had the strongest maximum wind speeds ever recorded in the Australian badin Cyclone Inigo Cyclone Lua References External links Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) . Australian Bureau of Meteorology (TCWC's Perth, Darwin & Brisbane) .