There were heavy storms ( and a possible tornado ) which hit Canberra , and the surrounding New South Wales region , on 2 December 2005 . The storms were the worst emergency to hit Canberra since the 2003 Canberra bushfires . The storms caused much damage to houses and property , and one man was killed by a falling tree in the suburb of Curtin . The storm hit Canberra at about 4.30 pm , and moved south-eastwards across the city . There were 51 Canberra suburbs which reported damage during the storm , the most extensive being in Fyshwick estimated to be 3 – 4 million in damage . The ACT Emergency Services received about 200 calls for help during the storm , with the NSW SES getting more than 500 calls . Calvary Hospital , and thousands of houses lost power , with ACTEW saying that about 5 % of the network had been affected . Calvary utilised a generator until power was restored . The storm was rated as one of the biggest ever to hit the ACT , with an estimated 15 million in damages across the city
2003 Canberra bushfires
2003 Canberra bushfires
Severe storms in Australia