As the floodwaters from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred recede, the destruction left behind is enoourmous—significant residential damage, severely disrupted businesses, and communities left without power and tragically loss of life. But beyond the physical devastation, there’s the risk of another crisis unfolding: the long-term mental and social health toll of disasters like Alfred, particularly on women and children.
More extreme cyclones, fires, and floods are being fuelled by climate pollution. The impact isn’t just financial—it’s emotional and psychological. In many cases, women bear the brunt of disaster recovery; managing the immediate and long-term needs of their families, maintaining stability, and trying to rebuild. Yet too often, their experiences and struggles are overlooked in broader climate discussions.
Studies show that women may be more likely to suffer from mental health issues after extreme weather events. Many develop post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression, especially those caring for children, older relatives, or people with special needs. Displacement, job losses, and the unrelenting stress of managing recovery all take a heavy toll. Financial insecurity compounds these problems. Because women often work in casual or part-time roles—frequently in industries hardest hit by disasters—they can find themselves with fewer resources to cope and rebuild.
These disasters don’t just wreck homes; they also create conditions that can lead to a surge in domestic and family violence. After the 2022 Northern Rivers floods in New South Wales, for example, local support services reported a spike in domestic violence cases, with families under intense financial, housing, and emotional pressure. A similar trend emerged following Victoria’s Black Saturday bushfires in 2009. In crisis situations, traditional gender roles can become more entrenched—men may take on visible roles in rescue and rebuilding efforts, while women shoulder the emotional and domestic burdens of recovery. For some households, this heightened pressure can escalate into violence, which is too often dismissed as a short-term reaction rather than recognised as a serious, systemic issue.
Disasters like ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred take a lasting toll, especially when they recur. In recent years, Southeast Queensland and the Northern Rivers in New South Wales have been hit again and again. The Northern Rivers saw major flooding in 2017, bushfires in 2020, devastating floods in 2022, and now flooding and erosion from Alfred in 2025. Communities barely have time to rebuild before the next disaster hits. This relentless cycle of destruction and recovery is exhausting, and the mental health toll is enormous. Each new disaster adds another layer of trauma, making long-term recovery even harder.
These challenges are only getting worse as climate-fuelled disasters intensify. Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred is part of an escalating pattern: warmer oceans are supercharging rain events, rising sea levels are pushing storm surges further inland, and the economic costs of these events continue to climb. Despite some progress in reducing our reliance on coal, oil and gas, it’s not happening fast enough. Every year of inaction leads to more destruction, more economic losses, and more trauma for the communities already on the front line.
Research has shown that there is a link between disasters and gender-based violence, yet Australia’s climate policies still fail to adequately address the specific risks women face. Recovery efforts must go beyond rebuilding infrastructure to support the people left piecing their lives back together. This includes:
- Cutting climate pollution to limit the severity of future disasters.
- Strengthening community resilience so that women in disaster prone areas are socially and emotionally supported before disaster strikes, and are able to access the services they need once disaster subsides.
- Continuing to boost funding for mental health as a core component of disaster preparedness and recovery, recognising that disasters are becoming more frequent and severe.
- Recognising women’s unique challenges, including safe housing options, financial assistance, and trauma-informed care.
The human cost of previous decades of climate inaction is undeniable. Disasters like ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred are intensifying. But every cut to climate pollution will help to prevent worsening catastrophic events in the years ahead. While recovery will always be necessary, we must stop lurching from crisis to crisis without addressing the underlying cause.
The only real way to protect our communities—and the women most at risk—is to move on from coal, oil and gas and reduce climate pollution now.