It is well known that tropical cyclones can cause significant impacts to the Australian community. Advances in forecasting, infrastructure design, and general preparedness have mitigated the impact but countering that is the increased exposure especially in terms of industry such as oil and gas activity off Northwest Australia and population increase.

A hypothetical but quite realistic TC scenario is created to highlight vulnerabilities to communities and industry in WA that includes wind, storm tide, fires and floods. Northwest Australia has the highest frequency of TCs and infrastructure has the highest design requirements in the country, yet remains vulnerable to TCs that are rapidly developing, slow moving and intense. Preparations at offshore installations take time so rapidly developing systems are challenging. The slow movement of a severe TC near the Pilbara coast causes a prolonged reduction in production and/or shipping and port activities that come at a significant cost. The vast majority of these costs are uninsured losses so are typically omitted in traditional impact studies. The high tidal range in the northwest typically mitigates against a major storm tide impact but an intense TC impact coincident with a high tide that is near to the highest tides of the year can cause a massive impact never experienced in the history of some towns like the Karratha region.

Further to the south communities and infrastructure are far more vulnerable to cyclones and the lack of recent events (it has been over 40 years since TC Alby) contributes to communities being less prepared. An accelerating TC can undergo extra-tropical transition in time to cause gales over a wide area; catastrophic fire weather conditions including the Perth hills; coastal erosion and inundation of low-lying areas; and flooding south of the centre.