Crane hits Gold Coast building after snapping in storm

A powerful storm smashed parts of the Gold Coast, causing Christmas Day destruction at a holiday park and snapping a crane.

The quick but intense storm cut power to 6000 homes across Brisbane, Gold Coast and the Somerset regions, with Energex crews currently trying to restore power.

Southport was one of the worst impacted areas, with trees and power lines down across the suburb as the clean up begins.

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The Christmas storm - known as a microburst - was so strong, it almost blew open restaurant doors and managed to send a barbeque flying.

It also snapped a large crane, which hit a Gold Coast apartment building and halted Christmas festivities for the afternoon.

At the Broadwater Tourist Park next door, holidaymakers were asked to evacuate as debris was strewn across the site.

Tents were twisted and torn apart, even a boat was flipped by the storm.

"We've got family in the park and we went down to help out because our parents, their gazebo had smashed into a caravan," holidaymaker Taylor Grigore told 9News.

"Caravans were moving in the wind, people were trying to run out to grab their stuff and it was just crazy."

As quickly as it came, the storm was over.

Emergency services were on standby but no-one was injured.

"No one is going to forget this Christmas I don't reckon here," holidaymaker Mitchell Hall said.

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