January 14, 2025
An elderly man suffered a head injury during the wild storm which whipped Kingaroy and surrounding areas on Monday evening.
A QAS spokesperson said the man, aged in his 70s, was transported to Kingaroy Hospital in a stable condition after a tree fell on his house in Haly Street.
Heavy rain began falling in Kingaroy shortly after 5:15pm, quickly followed by strong gusts of wind, thunder and lightning.
A number of large trees were blown down, especially in the Taabinga and Ellesmere areas, blocking roads, taking out power lines and causing blackouts.
In town, fences were blown down, trampolines were lifted from yards and tossed around like toys, and smaller branches littered footpaths.
In Haly Street, several houses received roof damage, including the home which had a large street tree fall across the front of the building.
Emergency services were called to the incident at 5:48pm.
A business in Somerset Street also lost part of its roof.
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a storm warning at 5:40pm but by that stage the worst of the wind and rain had already passed.
A later BOM update noted that Kingaroy recorded a 91km/h wind gust at 5:36pm.
South Burnett Regional Council advised on Tuesday morning that the playground in River Road Park was closed until further notice due to damage caused by the storm.
Apex Park in Kingaroy also suffered damage with Council requesting on Monday night that residents stay clear until it could be assessed.
