Counting the cost of storm fury

Carly Rees | 7th November 2009

Simon Richardson

THERE wasn’t many residents who got off without some destruction after the hail storm that belted homes for about 30 minutes just after 4pm Thursday.

The Allora Homestead and Allora Nursing Home were both hit hard with a number sky lights caving in, a smashed glass sliding door, a collapsed laundry roof and a stripped vegetable garden to name a few for each.

Eight residents at the nursing home had to be moved to different rooms as the rain leaked through the ceiling and onto the furniture and carpet.

Nursing home resident Allen Thorne had to move to a different room because his bed and carpet was all wet.

“It (the storm) frightened the cripes out of me, I have seen a few big storms in my time and this one was one of the biggest hail storms I have seen,” Mr Thorne said.

Allora State School’s head of curriculum, Robyn Westerman returned to the school yesterday as the hail storm began but she was too late to save special books when the hail shattered the fibre glass roofing.

The building is now covered by a large tarp and Mrs Westerman said that the water rushed in to the front of the building like a waterfall rushing down the blinds into the front office.

“There was damage to the floor, it was all flooded ... most of our gardens have been shredded, with computers, paperwork and flooring all damaged in one staff room,” Mrs Westerman said.

The streets of Allora yesterday morning were covered in vegetation as the trees were stripped almost bare and the Southern Downs Regional Council (SDRC) and residents have been hard at work clearing.

The SDRC will collect green waste from Allora on Monday November 9 and encourage residents to tidy up the waste and place on their footpaths.