Bushfires, floods, giant hail and cyclones: Severe weather prompting resilient home designs

Eddie Cowie and his family hid under the stairwell as the roof of their Rockhampton home was ripped off during Cyclone Marcia in 2015.

Not only was the State Emergency Service controller dealing with his own family’s heartbreak, he was called to assist thousands of others across central Queensland who were impacted by the severe event.

“[It was] like a mini tornado spinning around the eye of the cyclone … that pressure actually broke the frames up in our ceiling and lifted our roof,” Mr Cowie said.

“It basically popped all the screws and nails and sucked our whole roof up.”

Bushfires, floods, giant hail and cyclones: Severe weather prompting resilient home designs
Damage to a house in Yeppoon from Tropical Cyclone Marcia in 2015.(ABC News: Giulio Saggin)

Mr Cowie said along with the roof being torn off, debris flew through his house smashing windows and fly screens, trees crashed over their fence line and outdoor furniture was whipped across the yard.