Cyclone Alfred exposed critical weaknesses in Australia’s infrastructure: Expert. Alfred lingered off the coast for nearly two weeks, sustained by the warm waters of the Coral Sea. Power outages hit record levels, with more than 300,000 homes and businesses affected across both Queensland and NSW. Alfred also flooded and damaged roads, causing scores of road closures and traffic signal outages. The author cited a 2020 study in Fiji highlighting the role of mangroves in helping protect coastal communities from future wind damage. However, an estimated 17 per cent ofMangroves have been destroyed since European settlement in Australia. It is crucial to reduce the risk of infrastructure failure during these disasters, says Cheryl Desha, visiting professor of the School of Engineering and Built Environment, Sciences Group, Griffith University, in an article published on Monday in The Conversation. The role of connected vegetation, such as rows of mature trees, wetlands, and mangrove, can help slow and retain water, and reduce its erosive force, Desha said.