After heavy rainfall on Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd February, rivers across the region recorded major flood levels, leaving Ingham and surrounding areas inundated in flood water.

The Herbert River at Gleneagle on Monday 3rd February peaked at 10.23 metres at 8:20am, over two metres above the major flood level (8 metres).

The Herbert River at Trebonne peaked at 15.85 metres at 10:14am, almost four metres above the major flood level (12 metres).

At Ingham Pump Station the Herbert River reached 14.91 meters at 10:40am, two metres above the major flood level (12 metres).

At Halifax the Herbert River water level peaked at 5.66 metres at 10:44pm, major flood level for Herbert River in Halifax is 5 metres.

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For more than seven days, the Bruce Highway connecting traffic both north and south in the Hinchinbrook region has been cut off from both essential resources and access to surrounding areas due to the closure of a vital link in the region’s infrastructure—the Ollera Creek bridge on the Bruce Highway.
In a critical response to provide the community with necessary supplies, a temporary bridge was erected.
State member for Hinchinbrook, Nick Dametto, explained how the temporary bridge was a game changer for the region:
“Having the temporary bridge go up was a real changing of the gears when it comes to getting the services and the equipment to get Hinchinbrook Shire back on track.
“Seeing those the first Ergon Energy trucks coming across the bridge was quite uplifting, that extra help was on its way.”
As the floodwaters began to subside, the priority became restoring access from both the north and south. To support this, the temporary bridge was closed on Saturday 8th February for further restoration.
Essential access to assist the Ingham community was provided by Queensland Rail via a small bus on the rail tracks.
Then finally, on Monday 10th February at 8pm, the Ollera Creek Bridge opened for freight, supply, and emergency vehicles heading north to Cairns.

The bridge opened ahead of schedule but the early opening aimed to support freight movement before potential flooding impacts north of Ingham in the following days.

On Tuesday 11th February the Bruce Highway at the Seymour River (between Cardwell and Ingham) was expected to close.

Queensland Police coordinated the movement of freight, supply, and emergency vehicles.

From Tuesday afternoon onwards the bridge was open to general traffic, with traffic control and speed restrictions in place until further notice.

The people of Ingham were thrilled with the announcement as they can now travel south.

Fire and Rescue teams have been flying into Ingham from all over the state to help those affected by the devastating floods.

Senior Fire Fighter from Cairns Nathan Sandford was flown into Ingham from Cairns on Sunday afternoon.

Nathan said they worked from sunset to sunrise.

“Initially, it was welfare checks, and if anyone was unwell or in need of getting evacuated, we evacuated them,” said Mr Sandford.

“Unfortunately, due to a lack of resources on all emergency services parts, we had nowhere to take them. Once we got them to high ground and dry land, they were told to try and speak to family members or make their way to the evacuation centre if they could.  

“We took them somewhere safe because they were obviously in the lower areas, anywhere from a meter to maybe two meters of fast-flowing water through their houses or around their houses.  

“We used our motorised swift watercraft, which handles the fast-flowing water.”

Nathan said they had two crafts operating and his craft only evacuated between 20-50 people.

Calls for assistance were going through the Fire and Rescue Inspector Jack Emeleus.

“In a normal world, people would ring triple zero, Firecom would assign a job to the nearest truck, and they go and get the job. In this world, there are so many jobs, and we have boat crews, which have to be flexible; they don't know who to give it to,” explained Inspector Emeleus.

“Firecom pins me a job. We have a chat. I'm aware of where all my teams are at the moment. I look at the team that's most capable of doing that job because each boat has slightly different capabilities.

“I allocate the job, and then I have a triage list, which I maintain; I keep track of all the jobs, and when they're completed, the cruise advisor tells Firecom, we mark that off the list and go to the next job.”

Now jobs emergencies and evacuations have calmed down Inspector Emeleus said they are conducting damage assessments.

“We are doing damage assessments in between jobs, our crews this morning have been out to three different evacs or medical checks,” said Inspector Emeleus.

“We have replacement swift water teams arriving tomorrow, and their main tasking will be damage assessments, but they're all capable of doing rescue as well.

“We will have three motorised boats and three full teams in here, and another full team still in Halifax tomorrow, and when they're not doing emergency tasking, they'll be out doing damage assessments.

“My team's done about 350 damage assessments in the last 24 hours, and that information is available now to council and Ergon, who can make some decisions about what to do next.”

Inspector Emeleus said that although his team will be receiving relief, Queensland Fire and Rescue’s next job will be installing a flexible habitat that can accommodate 90 people.

“It is a large tent for 90 people, 30 of whom will be our staff who are managing the incident, and the other 60 beds will be available to SES volunteers to help with the cleanup,” said Inspector Emeleus.

“It’s going to be set up near the Catholic school, the college, that's our next major task.”

The community in Hinchinbrook has been in urgent need of support as locals recover from the devastating impacts of the recent floods.
One of the major challenges residents have faced is the widespread power outages. SpinFX Electrical has been at the forefront of efforts to restore power to flood-affected homes, working tirelessly to get people back on their feet.
In addition to this, the company has been collaborating with wholesalers in Townsville to ensure that essential supplies are delivered, helping other electrical companies in the area continue their recovery efforts as well.
Alongside this, the company has also been supplying generators and has been subcontracted by a company in Townsville to get a telecom site up and running on Palm Island.
Owner, Jesse Spina, stated how the weather has been tough for recovery efforts:
“It has been challenging for our staff, because they've had their own personal affairs to attend to as well.
“Which in my opinion, comes way before work.”
Jesse explained how the community has been extremely supportive in their efforts to help restore power in the region:
“It's so heartwarming, especially in such a devastating time for our community.”
On a personal note, Jesse explained how hard the floods have been on the Ingham community:
“It's heartbreaking,” he shared.
“Up until recently, probably the last five years I've lived on a cane Farm in Macknade, so I've never actually been in Ingham during a flood and to see the destruction and what's happened here is just, it's, it's devastating.
“It's gonna take the community a long time to recover from this.”
Jesse stated that Spin Fix want to help the community as much as they can:
“We are locals, and we're supporting local, that's the main thing.
“We want to help as many people as we can.”

The Ingham community is in mourning after two tragic deaths occurred during the ongoing flood disaster, highlighting the devastating impact of the severe weather conditions.
On Sunday, February 2, a 63-year-old woman tragically lost her life when an SES vessel, carrying her and five other passengers, overturned in the floodwaters. A bystander helped the remaining passengers back into the vessel, but, unfortunately, the woman was later found nearby, having passed away.
Just two days later, on Tuesday morning, the community was struck by another tragedy. An 82-year-old woman was discovered deceased in a cane paddock near Bemerside, Ingham, after being reported missing the previous evening. She had last been seen inside her two-story home around 6pm on Monday.
These heartbreaking incidents underscore the overwhelming severity of the floods currently ravaging the region. The loss has deeply affected the local community, casting a shadow of grief over the area.
Premier of Queensland, David Crisafulli, spoke out on the tragedies:
"There has been a loss of a life in floodwaters in Ingham.
"That's a really tight-knit community, our thoughts and prayers are with the family.
The community’s thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims during this incredibly difficult time.

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Disaster hit primary producers, small businesses and not-for-profits in seven northern Queensland council areas can now apply for concessional loans to assist with their recovery from the sustained rains and flooding endured the past week.
Loans have been activated for the local government areas (LGAs) of Burdekin, Cairns, Cassowary Coast, Hinchinbrook, Palm Island, Townsville and Yarrabah, provided through the joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA)
Disaster Assistance Loans up to $250,000 for eligible primary producers and small businesses and up to $100,000 for eligible not-for-profits will help re-establish operations by covering costs relating to:
   • Repairing or replacing damaged plant and equipment
   • Repairing or replacing buildings
   • Resupplying stock or livestock
Essential Working Capital Loans up to $100,000 are available to help operators carry on business operations, including paying salaries or wages, creditors, rent or rates.
Primary producers can also access freight subsidies up to $5,000 for the movement of stock, feed, machinery, fuel, water, and building or fencing materials.
Federal Minister for Emergency Management Jenny McAllister said the assistance activated today is important to supporting the North Queensland community during this challenging time.
 “Farmers, businesses and not-for-profit organisations are central to the North Queensland community, and we know that heavy rainfall and severe flooding has made it difficult for them to stay open.”
“We’re moving quickly to activate financial assistance for impacted communities.
“The Albanese Government will continue working hand in glove with the Queensland Government to support them through this event and into recovery.”
Queensland Minister for Disaster Recovery Ann Leahy said disaster loans provided a way forward for hard-working North Queenslanders in need.
“When disaster events strike, it’s often those who can least afford it who are most affected and unable to recover quickly,” Minister Leahy said.
“We have unlocked support for affected farmers and small businesses to help get them back on their feet.
“These loans follow the activation of Personal Hardship Assistance and council support for large parts of the region.
“Our government will continue working with the Commonwealth to extend further relief measures where required.”
For loan applications visit the QRIDA website, www.qrida.qld.gov.au, or call 1800 623 946.
Primary producers interested in freight subsidies can contact Queensland’s Department of Primary Industries on 13 25 23 or via www.daf.qld.gov.au.

AT A GLANCE
   • Flood affected primary producers, small businesses and not-for-profits in seven NQ LGAs can now apply for concessional loans to support recovery.
   • Disaster Assistance Loans up to $250,000 and Essential Working Capital Loans up to $100,000 are available to eligible operators in Burdekin, Cairns, Cassowary Coast, Hinchinbrook, Palm Island, Townsville, Yarrabah.
   • Loans will help with repairs to equipment, replacement of stock, loss of income, and the continuity of operations.

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Wilmar Sugar and Renewables reopened its two Herbert mills to employees on Monday (10 February) to begin the clean-up and recovery effort.
General Manager Operations Mike McLeod said Victoria and Macknade mills got power back on over the weekend, and electrical crews were doing safety checks before each area was made accessible. He said the focus for the first couple of days would be on cleaning up and assessing damage.
“This was a very significant flood event and we know there’ll be losses and damage to our infrastructure, particularly our cane rail network.
“It’ll take a couple of weeks to get a detailed picture of what we’re dealing with. As we understand the situation, we’ll finalise our work plan to get our factories and rail network back in order.”
Mr McLeod said the flood event would put some pressure on the Herbert maintenance program.
“We’ve lost time like everyone else, and of course many of our people have been directly impacted by the flood. But we’ve managed flood disasters before and we’ll manage this one.
“We’ve got an excellent team up here and good resources. We’ll work through the process and reorganise our work program to get the factories and rail line ready for the 2025 season.”
Mr McLeod said he was proud of the extent to which Wilmar and its employees supported the Herbert community during the disaster.
“Our people were out and about, lending a hand and giving practical support where they could.
“We donated two ute-loads of 15L bottles of water to residents at the Ingham Evacuation Centre, and ran a sausage sizzle for people staying there.
“We also set up a portable crib room at an employee’s front yard at Forrest Beach, and it became a bit of a community hub. It was somewhere locals could charge their phones, have a coffee, enjoy a bit of air-conditioning and have a chat.
“It was really appreciated.”

Fruit and vegetable market operators My Fruit Shop decided to give away five tonnes worth of fresh produce to families affected by the flooding. Opposed to letting it rot in their storage, they packed it all onto a tractor and drove it down to St Teresa’s College in Abergowrie for everyone to come and take as much as they needed.
Tim and Matthias Fehrenbacher of My Fruit Shop said “We had a mass of food that we didn’t want to go to waste and thought it be best shared amongst those in need.” They knew that a lot of people were struggling and being flood effected themselves in part, they decided to donate the $30,000 worth of fresh produce.
By spreading the word on their Facebook page and others in the community sharing the posts around, St Teresa’s had a huge turnout. Filling that craving for fresh food after living for a length of time on tinned goods, the community could not give more thanks to the men behind My Fruit Shop’s kindness.
“You guys are amazing! My kids and I were all so excited to get some fresh fruit and veg - thank you so so much,” Ms Natalie Wiese commented.
“Thank you so much for your generosity and beautiful produce. We have shared your delicious fruit and veggies with a very grateful Abergowrie community,” said St Teresa's College.
Many of the affected residents in the area said they were extremely appreciative of the generosity and so lucky to be part of such a kind-hearted community.
Locals supporting locals, and those with means giving to those who are struggling, is what My Fruit Shop championed when they brought their produce to relieve their flood-affected community. Tim and Mattias’ donation helped ease the burden on struggling families by providing joy with their fresh food.

Our hearts go out to all the residents who have experienced inundation of their homes and premises due to flooding over the past week. The flooding experienced has been devastating and not only homes have been destroyed, but many businesses have suffered loss of valuable stock, equipment, livestock and machinery occasioned by both water and the power outage. Terrible losses have occurred and there will be a long recovery process, not only the material matters, but the emotional scarring that has occurred due to the traumatic experiences of water inundation and physical evacuation of premises in the middle of the night.
These are experiences that no one will ever forget.
But as a community we must now rally and move as quickly as possible to try and return to some normality and it was heartwarming to see residents getting into the clean-up efforts of their properties the moment the water started to recede, with neighbours helping each other to get the job done. The Council is committed to doing its part and has commenced the clean-up processes including normal domestic rubbish collection, flood affected waste collection, and road/street opening and cleaning operations as a matter of urgency.
As I write this column, we are still not out of danger with the renewed rises in the river and the forecast for potentially more heavy rain in our lower catchment.  But we must start to rebuild in the knowledge that together, with the assistance of many including our state and federal governments, we will reestablish our community from this devastation.
The SES and Queensland Rural Fire Brigade are assisting residents to clear out and clean flood affected homes and residents seeking assistance in that regard are asked to register by phoning 132 500.
Financial hardship assistance packages have now been released by both the state and federal government and I urge our residents to apply for the assistance on offer either online or by visiting the Community Hub that has been established at the TAFE Centre on Townsville Road as soon as possible. I am sure that further assistance measures will be released once the waters clear and the full extent of damage is assessed and becomes apparent.

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A Message From The Mayor

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This was a horrific event, and we must thank the many many people who came to our assistance in response to the threat. The emergency service agencies including Queensland Fire, Police, Fire and Rescue, Swift Water Rescue, Water Police, and the State Emergency Services.
They each played a major part in helping our community members in the rising water, protecting our community and saving our residents in a time of need and we will be forever indebted to these brave men and women who went about their work in some quite atrocious conditions.  
We must also thank the Council staff who were involved in the response effort, from the administration staff who were involved and remain involved in the disaster coordination centre, to the technical officers whom worked tirelessly in ensuring that Council facilities and operations such as the water treatment plant remained operational during the highest peak of flooding. Thank you to you all.
We must also thank all those kind residents and community organisations who quickly rallied to help their neighbours, the displaced residents in evacuation, ferrying supplies about, cleaning out our community and sporting facilities and generally watching over our elderly residents in the days following the peak. There were many many people assisting as best they could. I will not mention any names at present for fear of injustice in leaving someone out, but we will acknowledge your effort sometime in the future as you are all applauded.
As we go about the recovery and the rebuilding our lives, please do not feel alone as there is much assistance about to help you as an individual and we will continue to push out information as it becomes available. The disaster recovery centre remains open and if you are in need of assistance or information, simply contact the centre on 4776 4600.
I wish you all the best.

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Queensland Cane Agriculture and Renewables (QCAR) estimates there could be up to one million fewer tonnes of cane cut across the Herbert this year, resulting in between $25 to $50 million in economic losses. 
However, the impacts of recent flooding in the Hinchinbrook Shire have yet to be realised because the waters are still receding. 
Early indications indicate significant crop losses and infrastructure damage to farms, drains, the cane rail network, machinery, and plants.
How does the flooding disaster impact cane yields?
It is difficult to estimate the crop losses associated with this severe event, but history tells us that saturated soil and waterlogging can severely impact yields. As soil pores fill with water, roots and soil organisms cannot access oxygen. Together with reduced sunlight, these conditions drop potential cane yields.
Floodwaters have inundated paddocks across the Ingham region, including this farm belonging to QCAR Herbert District Committee Chairman and sugarcane farmer, Matthew Pappin. The Pappins have already suffered financial impacts from having standover cane before dealing with the current flood event. Pictures: Contributed
Research from BSES and CSR showed that for every day the water table was less than 0.5 from the soil surface, cane yields reduced by 0.5 tonnes of cane per hectare.
Over the past three decades, there has been numerous years when flooding significantly impacted the region. They include:

The final crop yields varied significantly based upon the following factors associated with wet weather events:
   • Duration of the flooding event.

   • If sunny days occur while water is still covering the crop, or the crop is standing in water. In this situation, the water becomes very hot, and the crop becomes extremely stressed and, in some cases, dies.
   • Soil type. Generally, clay soils are more prone to waterlogging for long periods of time.
   • Position on the landscape. Higher fields are generally less impacted.
   • The month the flooding occurs in relation to crop growth.
   • The crop height when impacted by flooding. Generally, late harvested cane and drought affected cane is the greatest impacted, due to flooding.
   • The follow up rains post the flooding event, either low or high rainfall. The 1991 crop was impacted by flooding and a sudden stop to the wet season in April, with a subsequent drought leading a very low yielding year.
   • The amount of sunlight received throughout the wet season. The 2024 harvest was a good example of a year when there was low solar radiation to grow the crop leading to low crop yields.
   • Slit loadings on the crop, reducing the crop’s ability to undertake photosynthesis after flooding.
   • Impact on a crop caused by the loss of crop or stool. It is not uncommon for crops to fail or stool to be lost, due to adverse weather events.
   • The lead into the flooding event. Years when rains begin early generally result in lower tonnes harvested, like in 2009 and 2011. However, in 2019 there was good cane growth and better than expected yields due to favourable weather conditions both before and after the flood event.
Generally best yields occur after a succession of dry years in the Herbert; the graph below indicates this.

What will the 2025 crop yield look like?
It is difficult to predict what yield the district may experience this year; however early indications are not positive because of the following:
   • Late conclusion of the 2024 harvest 
   • Standover crops
   • The significant rain events during November and December in 2024, and wet weather harvesting impacting on the following crop. (We also made many ruts in field towards the end of the 2024 crush).
   • Receiving more than 2000mm of rainfall throughout the crops’ growing period thus far.
Looking into our crystal ball, we could expect to harvest a crop in the 3M tonne plus range.
If we have follow-up adverse weather events, it is more likely we will see the more disastrous scenario of fewer than 3M tonnes harvested.
A crop more than 4M tonnes is highly unlikely now, unless we have a miracle. Only time will tell what the 2025 crop harvest will yield.
Estimating the cost of the flood
The Herbert region harvests around 4.5M tonnes of sugarcane annually.
Based on historical data, QCAR estimates the Herbert will experience a loss of between 0.5 to 1M tonnes of cane due to this flooding disaster.
Based on an assumed $50 per tonne of cane, this equates to an economic loss of cane proceeds to the growers of between $25 to $50 million.  
This figure does not consider other losses from damages, repairs, and replanting of crops in some areas – all required actions, and at considerable expense, to ensure a business is again operational.
Lower crop yields, debris in the crop at harvest, infrastructure damage (i.e. to the cane rail network), and necessary repairs to damaged machinery (i.e. from equipment submersed in floodwaters) also impact the harvesting and milling sectors as well as the local business community. They too will need help to revive the sugarcane industry ahead of the 2025 crush.
How do we activate Category D status to unlock disaster funding for farmers?
Category D natural disaster assistance is provided by the Australian government in response to severe disaster events.
It is only provided in extraordinary circumstances and is considered after the assessment of a disaster’s impact.
The Queensland Government Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and Queensland Reconstruction Authority (QRA) undertake the assessment and provide their recommendations to the federal government.
QRA works with the Premier and Cabinet to seek endorsement of each Category C/D request form via the appropriate process, e.g. a Cabinet Budget Review Committee.
If approved, the Premier will then formally request endorsement from the Prime Minister through a letter. (Source: https://www.qra.qld.gov.au/)
The PM advises whether the Category C/D request was fully or partially approved, confirms the cost-sharing ratio between the state and federal governments under the Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA) system, and any conditions that must be met.
QCAR believes the financial losses incurred both in the short term and long term justify the activation of Category D natural disaster assistance and it is prepared to work closely with the authorities to undertake the necessary assessments to make this happen.

“To the people of Ingham and the Hinchinbrook, we’re here for you.

Our dedicated staff have been working around the clock to care for the community since this rainfall event began.

Our hearts go out to the family, friends, and everyone affected by the tragic loss of life that this tightknit community has experienced.

We also acknowledge those whose homes have been impacted by floodwaters, including members of our own staff.

Through these challenges, the compassion and resilience of the local people have shone through.

There have also been moments of hope; our medical teams have helped bring new life into the world during recent days.

Our local hospital has remained open every step of the way, and our focus remains on supporting the community in the days and weeks ahead.

We are actively working to bring in additional staff to relieve those who have been working so tirelessly.

For anyone in the community who is feeling overwhelmed, please know that 24/7 mental health support is available at these numbers:

Lifeline: 13 11 14
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636

And, as always, our emergency department in Ingham remains open for urgent medical care.

Stay safe, look after each other, and know that your health service stands with you.”

When Jenni Hopping packed up her life to move to Forrest Beach in December, she expected a few hiccups—what she didn’t expect was a flood of them.

With her new job at Ingham Manufactures Mitre 10 and plans to settle into her new home at Forrest Beach, everything was falling into place. But now, thanks to major flooding that has split the Bruce Highway in half and thrown the region into chaos, Jenni’s fresh start has hit a standstill.

Prior to this, she lived on Magnetic Island and in Hervey Bay.

Jenni has a shipping container in the Gold Coast, and it was meant to be up here in Forrest Beach already, but now Jenni expects the delays to be even longer.

With major flooding breaking the Bruce Highway in half, flooded roads and other priorities Jenni expects her plot of land in Forrest Beach to be a low priority.  

She needs concreting done and telegraph piles erected, but she has accepted that it may be quite some time before her property receives the work it needs.

“Emergency services will be doing emergency-related jobs; they won’t be putting power on my block,” laughed Jenni.

Among other concerns, Jenni cannot work and does not know when she has to work.

“The lack of power and lack of service is the most frustrating because you just don’t know what is happening out there.”

Jenni works at Mitre 10 on a casual contract, and due to limited reception, she is unsure if she has to work or when she can work. She received a text from her employer informing her that the store had reopened, but she got no other information.

“I don’t know whether any water got into the shop or not, there was very little information in that department, but it sounded like they were okay and opened today. (Wednesday 5th Feb).”

“I'm just playing the waiting game. What can you do?”

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In a remarkable display of efficiency, Queensland Rail’s on-track recovery machine—an innovative vehicle designed to travel on rail tracks—successfully transported 468 passengers in just one day. The vehicle completed 68 trips, assisting residents and emergency services while ensuring essential supplies, including generators, fuel, and other necessities, reached Ingham via the Ollera Creek rail bridge.
This effort underscores the crucial role of Queensland Rail’s infrastructure in connecting communities during times of need. The teams behind this operation were praised for their tireless dedication and commitment, ensuring vital services and supplies were delivered without disruption. Their ongoing efforts were recognized for maintaining a lifeline to the area during critical moments.

On Monday the 3rd of February, Forrest Beach received the worst flooding it had ever seen.

The local emergency group full of volunteers gathered together and went door-knocking to residents to ensure they were safe, had enough food and to see if they were in need of medical supplies.

While door-knocking on Wattle Street, Maria Boeyen and Brett Stapley were safe and sound, but they had major concerns for Maria’s parents, Rita and Peter Boeyen, on Fern Street.

Water had been rising over the weekend, and they refused to leave. On Monday, the water was chest-deep, and they continued to refuse assistance from family.

With this information, the Forrest Beach disaster management group made getting them to safety a number one priority.

Queensland Fire and Rescue and Forrest Beach Surf Life Saving Club waded through the deep waters, and still with professional assistance, Maria’s mother with Alzheimer’s refused to leave.

With this news, the Forrest Beach disaster management group decided that Maria’s parents might accept help in her presence, so Maria attended the scene and stood at the end of the driveway.

With her presence, they evacuated and were taken to Maria and Brett’s place.

Maria said sometimes it’s easier to say yes to strangers than to family members.

“It all happened so quickly, with the disaster management group knocking on the door, Mum and Dad were out within an hour, or hour and a half, even getting in the boat too,” said Maria.

“The volunteers are fantastic, and so soon after I'd been contacted, we were together, straight away.”

After the initial flood water had passed, Brett visited Peter and Rita’s property to assess damage and, most importantly, retrieve a generator that had been safe from flood waters.

“It was in the highest part of the block, so it didn't even get wet. The wheel didn't even go under,” said Brett.

“We now have power, it's limited, but it's power.”

The family are all safe and in good spirits.

Peter is so happy he joked that despite all the effort people went through hopefully power doesn’t come on too soon.

“We’ve managed to keep the fridge cold for beer,” he added.

“It happened that quickly so some of the stuff that we should have taken with us, we didn't.

“But we’ve just come back from there now and it's a bit of a mess, outside and inside, but nothing that bit of hard work and time can’t fix.”

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