A wild Christmas Day storm on the Gold Coast turned a holiday park into a scene of devastation after a colossal 30-tonne crane snapped in half, prompting a mass evacuation of terrified tourists.
Christmas Chaos as Crane Topples
The dramatic incident unfolded at around 3.15pm on Thursday in Southport, as severe winds and torrential rain lashed the coastline. The massive crane, situated near the Broadwater Tourist Park, buckled under the force of gusts reaching 83km/hour.
Holidaymakers at the popular park were forced to duck for cover and then flee as the tempest overturned gazebos, damaged caravans, and flipped boat trailers. Witnesses described the aftermath as resembling a 'war zone'.
Emergency Response and Exclusion Zone
In response to the danger, two fire and rescue crews cut through a fence to help evacuate residents from a nearby tower as a precautionary measure. Miraculously, no injuries have been reported.
Queensland Police declared an exclusion zone under the Public Safety Preservation Act at approximately 3.45pm, encompassing the Gold Coast Highway, North St, Loders Creek, and the Broadwater. The zone remained in place into Friday morning, with police, engineers, and two additional cranes on site to carefully dismantle the damaged structure still hanging precariously in mid-air.
The park management confirmed that most guests sustained property damage and that some have been unable to return to their sites to retrieve belongings due to the ongoing emergency declaration. Alternative accommodation was arranged for those affected.
Residents Compare Storm to Previous Disasters
Locals were quick to draw comparisons to the destructive 2023 Christmas Day tornado that left parts of the northern Gold Coast without power for weeks. One resident posted online, "Our house survived the 2023 Christmas storm and the more recent cyclone but it didn't with this event."
Gold Coast resident Liz Freeman said the storm was "very quick but massive," noting it threw heavy balcony furniture around "like it was made of paper." The snapped crane at the end of her street served as a stark testament to the wind's ferocity.
Among those caught in the chaos were former Brisbane Broncos star Corey Parker and his wife, Brisbane radio host Margaux Parker. Ms Parker shared that while marquees, boats, and annexes were lost, the most important thing was that no one was hurt. The family was put up in a hotel overnight.
The Broadwater Tourist Park stated the event was "something that resembled worse than anything we saw during Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred," adding the tragedy was compounded by the park being full of families celebrating Christmas.
The severe weather also caused widespread power outages across southeast Queensland, with energy provider Energex reporting over 7,400 properties affected at the peak of the storm activity. The Bureau of Meteorology issued further severe wind warnings for Friday, with more showers forecast.
