On 16 May 2005, a strong cold front caused widespread damage to Perth suburbs and parts of the south-west. Several tornadoes occurred on the edge of the front with the serious damage to buildings and houses in the Bicton and Bunbury areas.
The Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) described it as the worst storm in ten years. The SES received over 800 calls for assistance. Five schools were damaged; at Bicton Primary School the music room was ripped from its foundation.
In Bunbury, the tornado caused substantial damage to buildings and residences. Heavy rain caused extensive flooding and traffic chaos with roads closed, including a main highway. Some parts of the south-west recorded up to 80 millimetres of rain in 24 hours.
More than 100,000 customers were left without power and the city was littered with downed power poles and live wires. Power was cut along the storm's path in areas such as Bicton, Fremantle, Canningvale, Kwinana and Armadale. A study undertaken after the event reported that many of the Perth localities that were damages were in exposed areas that have a higher wind hazard than other areas in Perth.
The Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia undertook a review into the incident in 2005.
The Insurance Council of Australia estimated the 2005 damage at $53.2 million, with the 2011 normalised cost at $108 million.