Houses in cyclone-prone regions have to be built to withstand strong winds. The key to protecting against the sucking force or ‘uplift pressures’ created by cyclones, is to ensure that all the parts of the house are securely fixed together and down to the foundations. In the worst-hit areas of Queensland, 2011’s Cyclone Yasi ripped off 20 percent of roofs fitted in the 1980s, before cyclone-resistant building measures were implemented. Only 3 percent of roofs installed afterward were lost. There is a lot of information on how often a [...]