Months after a tornado destroyed homes and businesses in Western Australia's biggest regional city, researchers say some of the houses worst affected were not built well enough to withstand tornado-level winds.
, swept through Bunbury earlier in the year, tearing roofs off houses and sending debris flying across the city.A study from James Cook University 's Cyclone Testing Station found some of hit by winds of up to 180 kilometres per hour had previously had their tile roofs replaced with sheet metal and that not enough had been done to secure the roofs in place.
The National Construction Code outlines the necessity for tie-downs – used to secure a roof – in all homes in WA, but the requirements are stricter in cyclone-prone northern coastal areas such as the Pilbara and Kimberley.ABC South West WA: Jacqueline LynchThe Cyclone Testing Station research in the wake of the recent wild weather in Bunbury found evidence of "inadequate" tie-downs in at least four houses impacted by the storms.
Geoff Boughton says he frequently sees roofs not build to standard in WA cities affected by extreme weather.A WA Department of Mines, Industry, Regulation and Safety study in 2021 reported about half of lost roofs investigated after storms in the Perth area had been re-roofed. "I don't think any of us intentionally would tie a roof down incorrectly but having a second eye over or an inspection at a key point would definitely help," he said
James Cook University Cyclone Testing Centre Cycloen Testing Station Research National Standards Wa News South West News South West Weather Wa Weather National Building Code Australian Building Standards Bunbury Tornado
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