Answering the call in Cyclone Narelle

Roofs peeled back, fences vanished, and water found its way into homes that had stood firm for decades. When the “All Clear” was finally declared, the reality was confronting.

But for the team at Ray White Exmouth, there was little time to process their own losses. “Before we’d even finished dealing with our own homes, we knew we had to get out there,” Hannah Welburn from Ray White Exmouth said. “Our landlords couldn’t see what was happening - we had to be their eyes.”

Led by Mark Lucas, the Exmouth team stepped into action, navigating blocked roads and patchy communications to begin inspecting properties across the region. At the same time, hundreds of kilometres away, their remote counterparts in Perth became a vital lifeline.

“With phones dropping in and out and people understandably stressed, the Perth team helped us stay connected,” Hannah Welburn explained. “They were relaying updates, coordinating communications, and making sure no one felt left in the dark.”

But one of the most remarkable contributions came from someone who hadn’t planned to be part of the response at all.

Alexa Natali (pictured above), a property manager from a totally different office, Ray White Stocker Preston, was on annual leave in Exmouth when the cyclone hit. Like many visitors, she could have simply waited out the disruption. Instead, she reached out.

“Alexa contacted us a few days after the cyclone and asked if there was anything she could do,” Hannah said. “Honestly, she was a saving grace.”

Within hours, Alexa had become an extension of the Exmouth team.

“We were able to coordinate her to go out and inspect damaged properties while our local team focused on getting back to owners, tenants, contractors, and insurance companies,” Hannah explained. “That split in workload made a massive difference.”

The timing couldn’t have been more challenging. The office had transitioned to the Ailo property management system just a month earlier, and a new senior property manager had started only three days before the cyclone struck.

“It was a high-pressure environment,” Hannah said. “But Alexa’s knowledge of Ailo was invaluable. She talked us through processes, helped navigate the system, and just jumped into anything she could.”

Alexa didn’t stop at inspections. “She was calling people back, working through tasks in Ailo, and helping wherever she had knowledge,” Hannah added. “She didn’t hesitate, she just got on with it.”

Meanwhile, support flowed in from unexpected places. Staff from Ballara Station stepped in to assist the holiday rentals department, helping manage the influx of cancellations, relocations, and concerned guests.

The Exmouth team worked to stabilise properties quickly, preventing secondary damage like mould and further water ingress. The Perth team kept communication lines open. And Alexa, a visitor on leave, became one of the most hands-on responders in the field.

“This cyclone was the first of its kind since Vance,” Hannah said. “We were all learning as we went. But we’ve come out of it with stronger processes and a better understanding of how to support each other.”

In small communities like Exmouth, the distinction between client and neighbour is often blurred. And in those critical days after the storm, that sense of responsibility extended far beyond geography.

“It didn’t matter that Alexa was from another office, or even the opposite end of Western Austarlia,” Hannah said. “She saw a team that needed help, and she showed up.”

And in the wake of a storm that tested everyone, that simple act of stepping up became one of the strongest reminders of all: teamwork doesn’t stop at office doors, it travels wherever it’s needed most.