Recent analysis of ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred has prompted calls for improvements in structural resilience and disaster readiness across southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales.
A study from the Cyclone Testing Station at James Cook University (JCU), produced in partnership with Natural Hazards Research Australia, evaluated the storm’s impact and identified structural vulnerabilities exposed by the event.
Although Alfred had downgraded to a tropical low before making landfall, the cyclone presented a critical opportunity to assess infrastructure resilience under moderate stress.
Wind gusts near 100km/h, though not extreme, revealed several issues in modern construction, including failures in weatherproofing layers, glass panels, external cladding, and elevated balcony pavers.
The report pointed out that water seeped into many buildings despite windows being shut, primarily due to ineffective sealing and air-pressure imbalances.
Natural Hazards Research Australia CEO Andrew Gissing said the event provided timely insights into how future storm risks might be better managed.
“This research shows that while the damage from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred was less severe than expected, large parts of this was due to a combination of meteorological factors. Southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales may not be as luckily next time,” he said. “This research shows some great ways forward to improve safety and resilience against future tropical cyclone threats that we know will be faced in the future.”
Dr David Henderson, the Cyclone Testing Station’s chief engineer, said Alfred served as a useful stress test for regional preparedness.
“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. This has happened in the past,” he said.
Among the 15 recommendations made in the report were upgrades to water ingress protection, better fastening methods for balcony surfaces, and improved standards for hidden structural materials to resist corrosion.
There were also proposals to enhance emergency communication and ensure that backup power in high-rise buildings can maintain vital systems such as lifts and basement pumps.
Henderson noted instances where balcony pavers were dislodged and caused property damage after falling from high levels.
“It was an eye-opener to have 15 kg balcony pavers starting to lift and move around on these modern engineered, commercial structures in an ex-tropical cyclone,” he said. “On one building, lifted balcony pavers broke the glass balustrades and ended up on the street, several floors below. That’s a real wake-up call. If the wind speeds were higher, they would have been potentially deadly flying debris hitting other buildings.”
The analysis also suggested improvements for the window manufacturing sector, including design features that limit water entry under pressure and performance standards that reflect real-world storm conditions.
On the community side, while many residents followed emergency preparation guidelines, the report observed unsecured items on balconies and construction sites that could pose risks in future storms.
“Overall, this event was a very good way of learning lessons without too much of the community having to suffer,” Henderson said. “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.”
Suncorp, one of the country’s largest insurers, published its own post-cyclone evaluation titled “Beyond the Event,” outlining customer claims and internal response metrics.
According to the report, 31,140 insurance claims were lodged due to ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, including more than 28,000 for residential property damage.
Food spoilage caused by power outages accounted for nearly 10,000 claims, while Brisbane recorded the highest concentration of losses at 52% of total claims. Other significantly affected areas included the Gold Coast and the Richmond-Tweed region.
Suncorp CEO Steve Johnston said the company’s Disaster Management Centre (DMC) enabled a swift and scalable response.
“The DMC strengthens our capacity to proactively communicate and rapidly deploy our specialist customer support teams, builders, and assessors with speed and urgency when disasters strike, while our fleet of Mobile Disaster Response Hubs can scale up on-the-ground support,” he said.
Internally, more than 400 staff were reassigned to support claims processing and customer service. The largest spike in claims occurred two days post-landfall, highlighting the logistical challenges in disaster recovery operations.
Johnston said the company’s current disaster season has tested its systems repeatedly.
“We are committed to continuing to improve by investing in our processes to better identify customers experiencing a vulnerability and deliver timely support when it’s needed most,” he said.
