What Marcia did in 2015
Cyclone Marcia crossed Rockhampton as a Category 3 on 20 February 2015, and ABC News reported nearly 700 properties damaged in the Rockhampton region and 234 in Yeppoon. The Queensland Reconstruction Authority rates the winds people actually felt at Category 1 and 2 in the city, 2 and 3 in Yeppoon and 4 at Shoalwater Bay.
The Authority also says homes built before 1985 usually come off worse in a cyclone than newer ones. If your garage door is as old as the house, it is worth asking what wind load it was made for.
Your site decides the wind rating
Rockhampton sits on the Fitzroy River about 45 km from the sea, while Yeppoon, on the Capricorn Coast, is 41 km away. Every Queensland home has a wind classification for its site under AS 4055. Steel-Line's brochure explains the bands: N1 to N6 for non-cyclonic regions and C1 to C4 for cyclonic ones.
Go by the classification on your house plans or building approval. A new garage door should be rated to it, and the door specialist can show you which doors are.
Motors, repairs and power cuts
Over 60,000 homes in Yeppoon, Rockhampton and Bundaberg lost power in Marcia. A motor with battery backup, or a household that knows its manual release, makes a blackout easier. Steel-Line says its emergency key release lets a roller door be opened by hand when the opener fails or the power is out.
If you are booking a repair, say what the motor does when you press the remote. B&D says an opener that hums or strains without lifting the door can mean a broken spring, and that you should stop using it.
Around Rockhampton
Floods
Rockhampton Regional Council says flooding is common in the region, though most floods are minor. If water has come into the garage, have the opener checked: B&D's manual says it belongs in a dry spot protected from weather.
Bushfire
The council says a bushfire is likely in the region each year, and Gracemere was fully evacuated in 2018. On bushfire-prone land, the BAL assessment sets what a garage door needs.
The coast
Doors near the sea at Yeppoon face salt air. Steel-Line suggests lubricating a coastal door at least twice a year.
Licences
Building work valued over $3,300 needs a licence in Queensland, so ask to see it for a new door.
What we would do
Find your wind classification before anyone quotes a new door. It is on the plans or the building approval, and once you know it you can compare quotes for the same rating instead of guessing.