Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred a 'practice run' for future severe weather events, damage assessment findsBy Ned HammondTopic:Cyclones59m ago59 minutes agoWed 7 May 2025 at 5:34amA new report into damage from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred has identified areas of improvement for future, more severe events. (ABC Gold Coast: Alexandria Utting)In short:A new report examining damage to buildings during ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred has identified ways to prevent serious damage in future weather events. The report found winds only slightly stronger than those experienced could have caused widespread damage.What's next?The report made recommendations for improvements, including resilience measures for tall buildings and weatherproofing.abc.net.au/news/cyclone-alfred-damage-assessment-report-jcu/105262468Link copiedShareShare articleA new report has found buildings in south-east Queensland and northern New South Wales would only be able to safely withstand weather slightly more severe than what was experienced during ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred earlier this year.Waterproofing, electricity and communication, and balcony pavers on high-rise buildings were identified as potential risks in the damage assessment conducted by James Cook University and Natural Hazards Research Australia.Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred brought winds of up to 100 kilometres per hour when it crossed the coast at Moreton Bay on March 8.Loading...Report co-author Dr David Henderson said the system, which was downgraded from a category two to an ex-tropical cyclone as it made landfall, highlighted ways communities could better prepare for future events."One of the things that we want people to understand is that this was a great practice run in the event a stronger cyclone does eventually arrive in this area," Dr Henderson said."This has happened in the past."Pavers could become dangerous projectilesThe report identified the use of pedestal-mounted balcony pavers as an area of concern, with fears they could become dangerous projectiles in winds higher than 100kph.The paving slabs are elevated above the floor to enable drainage, but the report found the technique leaves them vulnerable to high winds."These pavers sit on these plastic stands, which is great and makes it nice and level, accessible," Dr Henderson said."But because the pavers aren't attached to the plastic stands, we've seen these winds now come across that are starting to lift some of these pavers."So if you could imagine the wind being 20, 30 kilometres per hour more — which is still less than what was originally forecast — we would have seen a lot more of these picked up and thrown around, which could have been quite problematic."The report recommended the pavers be fixed in place and standards revised to require each paver be sufficiently anchored to its building.Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred brought winds of up to 100 kilometres per hour when it crossed the coast at Moreton Bay on March 8. (AAP: Jono Searle)Power supply and waterproofing needs improvingPower supply was also identified as having room for improvement in the report.It noted the potential for basements to flood during severe weather events would mean pump systems may need to be run off backup power in the event of a failure in mains electricity."It's also important that sufficient power [is] available to run lifts to enable people with mobility issues to leave their apartments," Dr Henderson said.Weatherproofing could also be improved, with the report finding water entered a large number of buildings in the impact zone through roofs, closed windows, walls, and basements.Water entering through windows, walls, basements and roofs caused damage to homes in Alfred's impact zone. (ABC News: Brendan Esposito)It recommended waterproofing concrete walls with external membranes to prevent water soaking through, and imposing standards on windows that prevented leakage during severe weather."If you look on the inside of the window, under the sill, there's little holes along there ... when there's condensation or the moisture on the inside of it, it's meant to run down and then flow out through those little holes," Dr Henderson said. "When we have storms that are bringing the rain that's falling horizontally, because there's now wind pushing it ... it's actually forcing the water through our window seals, and through those little weep holes, back up over the sills and into our buildings."Loading...A look back at the aftermath of ex-Tropical Cyclone AlfredPhoto shows Kids in Bluey pjs examine a flooded road, road signs in the backgroundApproaching slowly and hitting hard, Cyclone Alfred wreaked havoc across south-east Queensland and northern NSW — and then the recovery began.Dr Henderson praised the community for its preparation but pointed out the potential for loose items to become missiles in high winds."It was really great to see a lot of people taking all this stuff off the balconies of the high rise apartments, cleaning up their yards, tying stuff down, doing all the pruning, it was like being back home up north," he said."For a region that doesn't have the same level of familiarity that we do in north Queensland when it comes to cyclone preparation, it was good to see people were paying attention to the messaging and were helping to protect their own and the neighbours' places."He said ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred was a good way to identify vulnerabilities in the region's storm preparedness "without too much of the community having to suffer"."It was a 'near miss' and we must work hard as a community not to be complacent and put in place what is needed to minimise damage in a future stronger event."Posted 59m ago59 minutes agoWed 7 May 2025 at 5:34amShare optionsCopy linkFacebookX (formerly Twitter)ABC EmergencySearch any location in Australia to find nearby active incidentsFind an incidentPlan for an emergencyPlan for a CyclonePlan for a StormPlan for a FloodTop StoriesGreens leaderless after Adam Bandt defeated in MelbourneBREAKINGPhoto shows Bandt sits with his hand on his chin.Wilson takes parting shot at Daniel in a teary victory speechTopic:ElectionsPhoto shows A man in a grey jacket and white collared shirt smiles in front of a crowd dressed in blue shirts that say "Tim Wilson".Peter Dutton lands in Canberra as Coalition MPs divide on nuclear policyLIVEPhoto shows Peter Dutton walks through an airport with microphones and cameras surrounding him.Multiple fatalities after retaliatory strikes between India and Pakistan, officials sayLIVEPhoto shows A man rides his motorbike through rubble in the darkFull-scale war looms 'if missiles start raining' between India, PakistanTopic:ExplainerPhoto shows Debris of an aircraft lie at the backyard of a house in KashmirRelated storiesEx-Tropical Cyclone Alfred a 'dress rehearsal' for events to comeTopic:CyclonesPhoto shows Dark clouds over Brisbane.AI picked Cyclone Alfred hitting Qld before traditional weather modelsTopic:WeatherPhoto shows Map showing the path of a cyclone heading towards the Queensland coastline.A look back at the aftermath of ex-Tropical Cyclone AlfredTopic:CyclonesPhoto shows Kids in Bluey pjs examine a flooded road, road signs in the backgroundRelated topicsBrisbaneConstruction and Real Estate IndustryCyclonesFloodsLismoreTop StoriesBreaking: Greens leaderless after Adam Bandt defeated in MelbourneTopic:Australian GreensPhoto shows Bandt sits with his hand on his chin.Wilson takes parting shot at Daniel in a teary victory speechTopic:ElectionsPeter Dutton lands in Canberra as Coalition MPs divide on nuclear policyTopic:ElectionsMultiple fatalities after retaliatory strikes between India and Pakistan, officials sayTopic:Unrest, Conflict and WarFull-scale war looms 'if missiles start raining' between India, PakistanTopic:ExplainerJust InDoctors on the brink: Burnout, unsafe shifts, and a system in collapse Topic:Doctors and Medical Professionals4m ago4 minutes agoWed 7 May 2025 at 6:29amWater gushed for weeks before McCrae landslide, inquiry toldTopic:Landslides18m ago18 minutes agoWed 7 May 2025 at 6:15amBeloved Darwin grocer honoured at public funeral after fatal stabbingTopic:Funerals and Memorial Services27m ago27 minutes agoWed 7 May 2025 at 6:06amBudget-friendly breakfast ideas for Mother's DayTopic:Recipes34m ago34 minutes agoWed 7 May 2025 at 5:59amMore Just InBack to top