Bureau of Meteorology investigating possible Bucca tornado

Locals in a small country town near Bundaberg have described the moment ‘terrifying’, tornado-like winds tore through their community, leaving a trail of destruction. SEE PHOTOS.

A supercell storm, that slammed into the Bundaberg region on Tuesday, is believed to have produced a tornado that tore through Bucca, snapping trees like twigs, killing wildlife and peeling off roofing iron.

Bucca Hotel publican Sarah Wesener was alone at the pub when the super cell hit.

“The wind was crazy,” she said.

“You could hear things flying around in the air.

“I didn't want to go outside, then the hail came.”

Ms Wesener said the 125-year old building was shaken by the storm as it moved through.

“We lost part of the roof, up on the veranda,” she said.

“The tin was just flying in the air and it landed in the backyard here. The wind was just terrifying.

“I actually felt like the whole place was just moving, shaking. It was just a trail of destruction.”

Bucca Hotel publican Sarah Wesener outside the hotel. She was in the building when what she believes was a tornado tore off part of the balcony roof, tossing it into their backyard. The area with the missing roofing is able to be seen on the left of the photo.

If Ms Wesener’s suspicions of a tornado are correct, it would not be the first time a tornado has hit Bucca.

In 1992, the sleepy town was rocked by a category F4 monster with devastating winds between 333 and 418km/h.

Lexly Black with her grandchildren,(from left) Kylie Holzberger and Michael and Belinda Black after the 1992 Bucca tornado. Family X-rays were found in the bush 4km away.

Three houses were completely destroyed, while others sustained extensive damage.

While the damage in Tuesday’s weather event was not as severe, the Bureau of Meteorology is investigating the possibility of a tornado.

Meteorologist Pieter Claassen said the damage could have been done by a gust associated with the storm or a separate tornado event combined with existing conditions.

The super cell also dumped torrential rain, with 80mm falling on Splitters Creek near Bucca in one hour and 76mm recorded in one hour at Bucca Weir. By midday on Wednesday, Bucca Crossing was still a metre underwater.

Mr Claassen said the Wide Bay had experienced above average rainfall in the past month because of “particularly active” storm activity in the early part of the Queensland storm season.

The clean-up for locals, who were left with large branches littering driveways, damaged roofs and massive trees ripped up and thrown back down, is expected to continue for days.

Power poles and road signs were left askew and many letterboxes blown away or on their sides.

Among those helping up with the clean up effort will be Bundaberg local Alan Higgins.

When he heard the news of what had happened at Bucca, he grabbed his chainsaw, jumped in his car and rolled up his sleeves to help out.

“My partner’s cousin lives up the road and I’ve just been driving around Bucca seeing if anyone wants a hand moving trees and all that,” he told the Bundaberg NewsMail, as he sawed branches so cars could move through a blocked section of South Bucca Road.

Mr Higgins said locals just liked to help each other out.

“I actually just got bogged,” he said.

“I moved a log for these people and I got bogged and then my chainsaw got stuck, so they had to help me.”

Alan Higgins grabbed his chainsaw, jumped in his car and drove to Bucca from Bundaberg to help clear roads that were littered with fallen trees.

“That’s what it’s like living out of town, we help each other.

“Even though I live in town, I‘d rather live out of town.”

Temperatures are expected to hit four degrees above average and reach into the 30s in coming days, while inland towns like Gayndah are expected to rise five to six degrees above average for scorching temps of about 35 degrees.

The greater Bundaberg region is expecting clearer skies, but hotter days as another trough looms this coming weekend, bringing possible storms with it.

“In terms of what we can expect to come, quieter conditions today obviously,” Mr Claassen said.

“A quite hot couple of days ahead.”