Cyclone Fina unleashed its fury near Darwin, leaving residents in a state of fear over a tense 24-hour period.

This category 4 cyclone wreaked havoc over the weekend, severing power lines to 20,000 homes and damaging the roof of the Northern Territory’s largest hospital, among other destruction.

The formidable tropical storm approached Darwin, skirting just 50 kilometers off the coast as a potent category 3 storm.

“Just as we were about to fall asleep, there was a loud crash outside,” one resident recounted. “We looked out, but it was pitch black with no power, and there was a tree in the yard.”

Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro offered high praise for the community’s resilience.

“I am incredibly proud to be a Territorian today,” Finocchiaro stated. “We stood together, followed the guidance of our emergency services, prepared ourselves well, and demonstrated the strength of our community.”

Late this afternoon, Cyclone Fina was heading south-west towards the north-east of Western Australia’s Kimberley Coast as a category 4 storm.

Winds of up to 165km/h and gusts to 230km/h were reported but the storm wasn’t predicted to make landfall.

Flights were resuming at Darwin Airport.