In Kalgoorlie, Australia’s largest outback town, residents are enduring a severe heatwave and prolonged power outages that could last up to a week.
The power disruptions began after storms and bushfires hit Western Australia’s Wheatbelt, Goldfields, and Great Southern regions, leaving over 20,000 homes and businesses, including most in Kalgoorlie, without electricity.
With temperatures soaring, reaching up to 40°C on Friday and staying above 35°C for the week, residents are also facing issues with water supply, phone services, and internet connections.
Businesses, including medical centers, have shut down, turning Kalgoorlie into a nearby ghost town with only Coles and Woolworths open for essentials. The local police are advising people to check on vulnerable neighbors.
Western Power restores electricity to thousands, but many Kalgoorlie homes remain without power.Western Power has managed to restore electricity to around 10,000 properties but about 1,600 homes in Kalgoorlie remain affected.
The utility is dealing with damage to five large transmission towers and is relying on backup generators. Crews are working in hazardous conditions to restore power and have urged residents to limit their usage to maintain stability.
Western Power is offering up to $120 to cover the cost of spoiled food in fridges and freezers, a compensation that many, like resident Stephen Blakey, find insufficient.
Blakey criticized the offer as inadequate given the high value of lost food and the severe conditions. Meanwhile, motel owner Bruna Myers is providing free extended stays to travelers stranded by the closure of fuel stations.
The outage has been especially tough for locals like Susan Gambale, who struggles with heat due to a medical condition and has lost around $600-800 worth of food. For residents like Elijah Tichborne, the ongoing power issues are a frustrating reminder of a flawed system.