# Weather the Storm

> Practical, research based guidance to help Australian households make their homes stronger before the next cyclone, reduce damage and understand how mitigation supports more affordable insurance. Developed by the Cyclone Testing Station at James Cook University, refreshed with support from the Australian Reinsurance Pool Corporation (ARPC).

Key points:
- Small, low cost jobs such as maintenance, clearing the yard and protecting windows and doors make a real difference.
- A roof is held down by a chain of links from the roof sheets to the stumps. The weakest link fails first.
- If a window or door breaks, the force lifting the roof can more than double.
- Homes built before the mid 1980s were built to older cyclone rules and usually need more work.
- Some insurers may recognise eligible mitigation improvements. Requirements vary, so homeowners should speak with their insurer.
- The Cyclone Reinsurance Pool started on 1 July 2022, is run by ARPC and is backed by a $10 billion Australian Government guarantee. ARPC does not sell insurance to households.
- This is general information, not building advice. Use a licensed builder.

## Pages

- [Home](https://weatherthestormjcu.netlify.app/): Free, practical steps to make your home stronger before the next cyclone. Check your home's weak spots in five minutes and get a plan for your builder.
- [Your home’s risk](https://weatherthestormjcu.netlify.app/your-risk/): Find your wind region and see where homes fail in a cyclone. Learn why the weakest link matters, then check your own home in five minutes.
- [What you can do now](https://weatherthestormjcu.netlify.app/act-now/): Low cost jobs that protect your home from cyclones straight away: maintenance, windows and doors, keeping water out and clearing the yard.
- [Upgrades to prioritise](https://weatherthestormjcu.netlify.app/act-now/upgrades/): Which cyclone upgrades to do first. Check the seven links that hold your roof down, from roof sheets to stumps, and get a plan for your builder.
- [Costs and benefits](https://weatherthestormjcu.netlify.app/act-now/costs-and-benefits/): A rough guide to what cyclone upgrades cost, from free jobs to a full roof tie down, and the difference they make to damage and insurance.
- [Insurance and mitigation](https://weatherthestormjcu.netlify.app/insurance/): How a stronger home can support more affordable insurance. What mitigation is, upgrades insurers may recognise and how to tell your insurer.
- [The Cyclone Reinsurance Pool](https://weatherthestormjcu.netlify.app/insurance/cyclone-pool/): What the Cyclone Reinsurance Pool is, why it was set up, what it covers and how ARPC helps keep cyclone insurance affordable for households.
- [Home Check](https://weatherthestormjcu.netlify.app/home-check/): Free 3D Home Check. Enter your suburb or postcode, see your wind region and your home's weak spots, then download a plan for your builder.
- [Stories](https://weatherthestormjcu.netlify.app/stories/): Lessons from real homes. See what engineers found after cyclones, and the simple fixes that stop the same damage happening to your home.
- [About](https://weatherthestormjcu.netlify.app/about/): Weather the Storm gives practical, research based guidance from the Cyclone Testing Station at James Cook University, refreshed with support from ARPC.
- [Contact](https://weatherthestormjcu.netlify.app/about/contact/): Contact the Cyclone Testing Station at James Cook University with questions about the guidance on Weather the Storm.
- [Resources](https://weatherthestormjcu.netlify.app/about/resources/): Australian Standards, building approvals by state, videos and useful links for homeowners and builders upgrading homes for cyclones.

## Case studies

- [Loose screws, lost roof sheets](https://weatherthestormjcu.netlify.app/loose-screws-lost-roof-sheets/): Why roof sheets tear off in a cyclone when screws are too far apart, and how to fix it. Compare the damage with the fix.
- [When the battens let go](https://weatherthestormjcu.netlify.app/when-battens-let-go/): Why battens that are only nailed down let go in a cyclone, and the simple screw fix. Compare the damage with the fix.
- [The whole roof lifted off the walls](https://weatherthestormjcu.netlify.app/whole-roof-lifted/): How a whole roof can lift off when it isn't tied to the walls, and how straps or rods fix it. Compare the damage with the fix.
- [When walls aren’t tied to the floor](https://weatherthestormjcu.netlify.app/walls-not-tied-to-floor/): What happens when walls aren't tied to the floor in a cyclone, and how to tie your home down to the stumps. Compare the damage with the fix.

## Contact

- Cyclone Testing Station, James Cook University, Townsville QLD 4811. cts.admin@jcu.edu.au, 07 4781 5053.