Sunshine Coast woman nearly killed by flying debris from ‘freak’ lightning strike

A Nambour woman has survived being struck by a flying piece of timber that crashed through her bedroom window after a ‘freak’ lightning strike ‘exploded’ a tree which destroyed a car.

A Sunshine Coast woman says she’s lucky to be alive after being struck by a flying piece of timber that crashed through her bedroom window after a “freak” lightning strike “exploded” a tree in her neighbour’s front yard.

Nambour resident Tracey Robertson had not been able to sleep but was miraculously uninjured by the debris which hurtled through her window about 1.15am on Thursday.

The strike disintegrated the tree which caused a large branch to come crashing down on her neighbour’s house and a car.

Ms Robertson said the piece of timber, about 30cm long, nearly “totalled” her after it flew off the tree from 20 metres away.

“There was glass everywhere, in my hair, tiny splinters everywhere. It was like a speeding projectile, it put a clear hole in my window,” Ms Robertson said.

“I’m so lucky.”

The Erbacher Road resident said the storm lasted all of 10 minutes.

“The light was blinding and I could smell the burning and the smoke,” she said.

“Then I went outside and looked up at the tree and went ‘woah’.

“I’ve been here 10 years and haven’t seen anything like it.”

Her neighbour James Hoyle said his was car written off and that his roof sustained “significant” damage which he hoped would be covered by insurance.

Mr Hoyle said he heard four huge strikes within quick succession, so loud they he did not hear the tree fall.

“It was frightening. Just a huge couple of claps,” Mr Hoyle said.

“Unfortunately it hit the roof and damaged it and the solar panels.”

Mr Hoyle, who had witnessed cyclones in Bundaberg, said it was the worst encounter he’d experienced.

“The tree just exploded,” Mr Hoyle said.

“We were just lucky it only went through the office, not my boy’s bedroom.

“It was a freak event. Unpredictable.”

A Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said the incident was the only call out for the Sunshine Coast overnight.

The Nambour State Emergency Services crews responded and helped with the clean up.

It comes after a warning from the weather bureau of a fast moving and potentially severe system was due to hit the region by Thursday afternoon.