Ex-tropical cyclone Damien has left car-hire companies in Western Australia's Pilbara with an unprecedented damage bill and a shortage of cars after inflicting carnage on Karratha Airport.

Key points: Car hire companies in Karratha, WA, are struggling to get back to normal after unprecedented cyclone damage

Car hire companies in Karratha, WA, are struggling to get back to normal after unprecedented cyclone damage Glass and smash repair businesses have been overwhelmed with requests for help

Glass and smash repair businesses have been overwhelmed with requests for help One resident whose car was written off said she had never seen anything like the extent of the damage at Karratha Airport

It is understood that more than 250 vehicles located at the airport had windows smashed and suffered severe water damage when the category 3 system hit the coast on February 8 and 9.

An unnamed rental worker said it was "absolute bedlam" for the rental agencies as they tried to deal with the fallout from the damage.

Thrifty Car Rental is thought to have been hit particularly hard.

The company said that "a number of vehicles" had been damaged, although it declined to give an exact figure.

Most of these vehicles parked at Karratha Airport had broken windscreens. ( ABC Pilbara: Rebecca Parrish )

Nearly 20 Budget Rentals and Avis vehicles were hit and about 60 at Hertz.

A Thrifty spokesman said extra staff and resources from 12 other rental locations had been brought in to Karratha to deal with the issue.

"We've called in resources and taken every measure to ensure minimal impact on our customer," he said.

The largest of the four local rental car suppliers, Thrifty has shipped in new vehicles to boost its fleet and meet customer demand.

'Never seen anything like it'

Karratha resident Wendy Page's car was written off after being parked in long-term parking.

She was among the first to assess vehicle damage at the airport after the cyclone passed through.

She said she had never seen a sight like it, despite having lived in the region through ex-Tropical Cyclone Christine.

Wendy Page's car was soaking wet on the inside after her windscreen was smashed. ( Supplied: Wendy Page )

"I saw cars with windows smashed and when I saw the back end of my car I could see the back window intact and I was like, 'I might be one of the lucky ones'.

"Then as I got closer, I saw the front passenger window and I thought it looked a little bit too clean.

"As I got closer I noticed that the front passenger window had blown in and the back passenger window on the driver's side had blown out and there was just water and glass in my entire car.

"My whole dash was absolutely soaked."

Wendy Page's car suffered broken glass and water damage. ( Supplied: Wendy Page )

Insurance claims

While the visual debris caused around Karratha town has mostly been cleared away, local businesses are still working hard to meet demand from insurance claims.

RAC alone had 269 claims lodged following the cyclone, totalling about $2 million damage — 70 per cent of that being for damaged vehicles.

Glass and smash repair businesses have been overwhelmed.

Glass repair company Novus Pilbara was forced to switch its phones to a pre-recorded message urging any claimants to email.

The message states the business "is experiencing overwhelming calls due to the damage from the cyclone".

Karratha Smash Repairs owner Alan Couper said he was prioritising window repairs and would try to fix panel damage later.

He said matters had been made more difficult by the backlog in insurance claims because insurance companies were dealing with their own backlogs after fires and floods around the country.