On the frontline: Young firefighter reflects on Ingham flood recovery effort
When floodwaters devastated Ingham, 22-year-old Hanna Johansson jumped into action. See what she witnessed on the ground as she helped wash out homes during the big clean up.
Townsville
Don't miss out on the headlines from Townsville. Followed categories will be added to My News.
When floodwaters tore through Ingham, 22-year-old Hanna Johansson didn’t think twice about helping.
As a volunteer with the Horseshoe Bay Rural Fire Brigade on Magnetic Island, she had seen the images of the inundated town and knew the recovery effort would need every available hand.
“Seeing the footage on the news, I just wanted to get up there and do whatever I could,” she said.
“Even if it was just a small contribution, I knew those communities needed all the help they could get.”
Hanna was the only member of her brigade to put her hand up for deployment, joining strike teams of firefighters from across Queensland and the country.
Over two weeks, those teams worked around the clock to clear debris, wash out homes, and help families salvage what they could.
Hanna spent three days on the ground, from February 11 to 13 — a short stint in a long recovery, but enough to witness the devastation first-hand.
“Every street was lined with people’s belongings, furniture, appliances, everything covered in thick mud. It was heartbreaking to see the scale of it,” she said.
Inside homes, water lines on the walls reached as high as two meters. Some residents faced even greater challenges.
“All of the toilets seemed to explode,” Hanna said. “It wasn’t just floodwater, there was sewage everywhere. So these families weren’t just dealing with the loss of their belongings; they had a whole set of challenges to overcome.”
But for Hanna it wasn’t just about cleaning up, it was about being there for people who had lost almost everything.
“The people were so grateful. Some even hugged us just to say thank you,” she said.
“Just being there, letting them know they weren’t alone, meant the world to them.”
She said the whole experience had just reinforced why she volunteers.
As she works towards becoming a paramedic, Hanna knows how important it is to have people ready to step up when disaster strikes.
“It was incredible to see emergency services from all over come together to help Ingham,” she said.
“That team work, that shared purpose — that’s what being part of this brigade is all about. And I’m proud to be part of it.”
Originally published as On the frontline: Young firefighter reflects on Ingham flood recovery effort
‘Getting rarer’: Premium acreage estate attracts buyer interest
With residential acreage developments as scarce as hen’s teeth around Townsville, a new estate featuring hefty-sized blocks is attracting plenty of buyer interest. Find out where it is.
Townsville car thefts up despite tough new laws
Townsville’s car thieves aren’t backing down, with vehicle thefts creeping up in the first full month under Queensland’s hard line Adult Crime, Adult Time laws. See what the Youth Justice Minister’s office had to say about it.