The town of Exmouth prepared for what was initially forecast to be a destructive Cat 4 cyclone on Sunday 9 February. As the cyclone approached the town as a Cat 3 event, it was later downgraded to a Cat2 as it passed over Exmouth.
The town recorded winds of approximately 155kmph and 40-50mm of rain overnight. The Exmouth Sundrift project received large amounts of rain with little to no damage recorded.
Practical completion of the residential lots are still on track to be completed by the end of November 2026.
While the winds from cyclone Mitchell were damaging to trees and light structures the rain was in the main welcome to the town and pastoral properties nearby.