Emergency crews will soon begin assessing the damage from a tropical cyclone in Western Australia's Pilbara region.

Key points: Cyclone Damien crossed the coast as a category three system

Cyclone Damien crossed the coast as a category three system It is the strongest cyclone to make landfall in the region since 2013

It is the strongest cyclone to make landfall in the region since 2013 A red alert is in place and winds of 205kph have been recorded

Cyclone Damien was last night downgraded to a category two system after it moved inland.

Residents in the affected area were being told to remain indoors but the red alert was expected to be lifted later today.

Will Blackshaw from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services said damage inspections would begin at first light local time, before giving the all clear.

"There have been over 100 calls for assistance already," he said.

"I'm expecting that will increase significantly once people are able to get outside and have a look at what that damage is. We are seeing some calls for some significant damage."

Rain and gale-force winds pummelled a stretch of coast close to Dampier and not far form Karratha, which is home to about 16,000 people.

The Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) said Karratha and Dampier were hit with the brunt of the cyclone as the eye wall crossed over the communities.

The eye wall is located just outside of the eye.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 43 seconds 43 s Destructive winds from Cyclone Damien hit WA coastline hard

When the eye of the cyclone crosses, winds are much lighter until the other side of the eye wall hits.

Residents urged to be vigilant

BOM's Neil Bennett cautioned people to not be complacent.

"It's still a very powerful system after the eye goes through," he said.

"It [the wind] drops off really, really quickly because the eye passes over you … but they pick up at the other end … it is a very rapid increase in wind speed."

The eye could take three or four hours to pass.

The strongest wind gusts recorded so far have been up to 205kph.

Karratha has received more than 140mm of rain in the past 24 hours, but forecasts are for between 250mm and 400mm in some areas.

Tropical Cyclone Damien made landfall on Saturday afternoon. ( Supplied: Windy.com )

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) crews were expected to be on the ground to assess the damage by first light on Sunday.

Tides are expected to rise significantly above the normal high tide mark and that's for residents in Dampier and Whim Creek.

Residents are also being warned about the risks of storm surge, depending on the timing of the system and the position of the tide.

Damien is the first severe cyclone to cross the Karratha and Port Hedland area since Cyclone Christine in late December 2013.

City of Karratha Mayor Peter Long said Cyclone Damien had brought some very strong winds.

"There are a lot of branches and leaves flying about the place," he said.

City of Karratha Mayor Peter Long (file photo) lived through a category five cyclone in 1989. ( ABC Pilbara: Susan Standen )

The long-term Karratha resident has been through many cyclones during his 35 years in the city, with the strongest, category five cyclone Orson, hitting in 1989.

"That was very scary, it was a very strong cyclone," he said.

"When you get winds 250 to 300 kph, it's very scary."

Karratha councillor Margaret Bertling said the calm as the eye of the storm passed over had given her an opportunity to look out her windows and assess the damage.

"My garden is shredded, my street is shredded, there are trees, there are bits of fences down, there are sheds gone," she said.

"It's just not nice"

Red alert as residents warned to prepare

A red alert is in place for people in or near Whim Creek to Mardie and south to Pannawonica, including Pannawonica, Point Samson, Cossack, Wickham, Roebourne, Karratha and Dampier.

A yellow alert is current for people in or near Whim Creek, east to Yule River and south to Wittenoom including Barrow Island.

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People in these areas have been told they need to prepare for cyclonic weather and move to shelter.

DFES said more resources had been deployed to the region.

"We are planning for the worst," DFES assistant commissioner Brad Delavale said.

"We have sent an urban search and rescue team to Port Hedland to assist with damage assessment should it occur."

Evacuation centres have been set up at Karratha's Leisureplex and the JD Hardie Centre in South Hedland, with residents urged to put their cyclone plan in place.

"If you are going to go to these evacuation centres, I recommend that you go early and you take the bare essential items such as medications and identification with you," assistant commissioner Delavale said.

People in the alert zone were also warned to prepare their houses for the cyclone's arrival by fastening cyclone screens, boarding up or taping windows and locking doors.

Residents bunker down

Dampier local Robyn Palmer said it has been a nervous situation.

"There has just been horrendous wind and rain … and we've got the next door neighbour's tree in our swimming pool," she said.

Harley Coventry has also been bunkering down in Dampier.

"It [is] pretty shocking. We were able to take a peek out through the screens," he said.

"We have now got a backyard full of broken trees and the old frangipani didn't make it.

"It's ripped out everything. [I've got a] bloody yard full of leave and branches."

Mermaid Hotel manager Nick Bond told ABC Radio they were well prepared and were just staying put in Dampier.

Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Watch Duration: 1 minute 4 seconds 1 m 4 s Residents have filmed the wild weather as it lashes the Pilbara amid Tropical Cyclone Damien

"We've got all our staff in the main building at the hotel, we've actually got 57 guests staying with us, contractors from the mining industry, mainly, bunkering down," he said.

He said he had been at the hotel for 16 years and experienced two or three category three cyclones.

But he said he was confident they were safe as the building weathered a category five cyclone, Orson, in 1989.

Dampier is being lashed by rain amid Tropical Cyclone Damien. ( Supplied: Nick Bond. )

"We're feeling pretty comfortable at the moment but we're well aware there's a lot more wind coming," Mr Bond said.

"We had to do pretty early breakfast this morning, at 5am before the wind picked up and all the guests have a packed lunch in their room

"The ones that didn't want to stay in a room are in the main building with us."

Port Hedland given all clear

Port Hedland, 190 kilometres north-east of Karratha, has been given the all clear.

But residents are being advised to remain alert for hazards.

Residents are being urged to stay indoors while a red alert is in place for Karratha. ( ABC News: Michelle Stanley )

A flood warning is in place for Port Hedland, Karratha, Tom Price, Paraburdoo, Nanutarra Roadhouse, Marble Bar, Kalbarri, Meekatharra, Murchinson and Kumarina.

Assistant Commissioner Delavale said residents needed to "react responsibly" after some people were seen surfing along the Pilbara coast.

"That's risky, and when our emergency services personnel are preparing for a cyclone, we don't want to have to be out rescuing people doing unnecessary things," he said.

Power company braces for blackouts

Horizon Power retail and community manager Michelle South said this weekend would be the second time the Pilbara's underground power network would be tested.

Nic Reed's dog Bentley enjoys the rain after Port Hedland gets the all clear. ( Supplied: Nic Reed )

During Cyclone Christine in 2013, more than 13,000 customers lost power in the area, but during Cyclone Veronica last year that just 250 of 9,000 customers lost power

Ms South said there were currently about 9,500 people without power in the Karratha suburbs of Pegs Creek, Baynton, Nickol, Millars Well and Roebourne.

"This is being caused by a transmission pole and wires that have fallen to the ground with the high winds that we have experienced," she said.

Parts of the town of Wickham are also believed to be experiencing power issues.

Perth to escape cyclone rain

Earlier, BOM duty forecaster Luke Huntington said Perth was likely to escape any after-effects of the system as it made its way inland next week.

"At this stage the rainfall looks like it's going to stay through the inland parts of WA, so at this stage Perth is going to likely miss out on any rainfall," Mr Huntington said.

Tropical Cyclone Damien is predicted to bring destructive winds up to 250 kilometres an hour. ( Supplied: Windy )

"We've got it weakening below tropical cyclone strength early on Sunday morning, so that looks like it could be around the Tom Price or Paraburdoo area.

"After then it will be downgraded to a tropical low."