Storm damage closes city school
PART of a home was crushed and more than 20 classrooms were flooded at a top Gold Coast school by a storm during the weekend.
The Gold Coast copped a beating from the Saturday night storm, which dumped about 45mm of rain through the roof at Aquinas College in Ashmore.
The school was closed yesterday morning after teachers discovered the damage.
A number of classrooms’ ceilings had collapsed, causing thousands of dollars in damage.
Principal Peter Hurley said the school will open today but many of the classrooms will remain out of action.
“Lessons will take place in alternative classrooms so debris can be moved,” he said.
“The area was deemed unsafe because we found water in light fittings and had other concerns.
“I thank parents for being understanding.”
Mr Hurley said the damage was so severe that it was likely a wing of the school will remain closed for the rest of the year.
“There is one wing more severely damaged than everywhere else, we are now going through to see what we can salvage,” he said.
In Broadbeach Waters, scaffolding from a construction site fell on to a nearby home during the storm, causing major damage to the home’s roof and an outdoor area.
Queensland Fire and Rescue services said a 10m high and 20m long section of scaffolding had collapsed.
An industrial inspector who attended the site said that construction of the development had only been completed to the first floor but it appeared that the scaffolding had been erected another two floors higher.
The residents of the damaged house, believed to be an elderly couple, were not injured but their home sustained structural damage to the roof and walls.
State Emergency Service personnel secured the home with tarps and Workplace Health and Safety Inspectors were on site on Sunday morning.
The storm’s fury wasn’t restricted to the land – a man lost everything he owned when his houseboat sank on the Broadwater at Biggera Waters on Saturday afternoon.
His new home broke up and was later found in pieces washed up on shore.
The SES reported they had responded to 40 call outs to assist with storm damage during the weekend. Wet weather is expected to return tomorrow, according to the Bureau of Meteorology.