‘It can’t continue’: Residents recount the moments they lost everything in the 2023 Cyclone Jasper floods

Flood victims have relived the harrowing moments they lost everything during an inquiry into insurers’ responses to major flood events.

Residents relive the harrowing moments they lost everything in the 2023 Cyclone Jasper floods during the inquiry into insurers’ responses to major flood claims. Picture: Brendan Radke

Residents have relived the harrowing moments they lost everything in the Cyclone Jasper floods during an inquiry into insurers’ responses to major flood events, held in Cairns this week.

Machans Beach resident Kass Gardiner has lived in Far North Queensland for over 30 year and seven months on from the floods, she is still waiting for her insurance pay out to complete much needed repairs to her damaged home.

“It (the house) needs to be stripped out and redone,” Ms Gardiner said.

Speaking on behalf of her family at the public hearing, where residents were invited to “share their stories”, in order to help assess insurers reactions before, during and after a claim had been made.

Ms Gardiner said the lack of empathy and disregard from insurance companies could not continue.

Sioux Campbell of the Northern Beaches Flood Recovery Group gave a personal account of the 2023 flood and the effect it has had on residents. Picture: Brendan Radke

In her statement, Ms Gardiner said her family were not ready when the cyclone hit as the water continued to rise up to her knees.

“The water was swirling in the backyard, in the dead of night, like a whirlpool,” she said.

“We were trying to get some blocks to lift the beds up off the ground, but we were too late.”

Now residing in cramped conditions on the top floor of her split-level home, Ms Gardiner said she, her daughter, and her 14-year-old grandson were making it work despite the small living quarters.

“Our problem is that we’re living in my little part of the house, which is a one-bedroom, one-living room space, and we share a kitchen and bathroom for three people,” she said.

“We were just completely unprepared for how frustrating and stressful it would be.”

Machans Beach residents Kass Gardiner and Deryck Thompson both gave statements on the 2023 flooding which effected their homes on the popular beachside suburb. Picture: Brendan Radke

The family of three are still waiting, seven months on for their insurance company to complete their claim so they can replace the damaged flooring and walls to the lower level of the home, which is mostly made from radiata pine.

While they have received a payout for damaged furniture, Ms Gardiner said there was “nowhere” for the new furniture to go.

“There is nowhere to put the replacement furniture and there is still no electricity to the bottom level of the house, it’s not liveable,” she said.

“We thought we were very prepared, we did everything right for a cyclone, shift furniture and put things away but we were completely unprepared for the intensity and the repetitiveness, it came as a shock, there was just nothing we could do”.

Other residents who found Wednesday's proceedings difficult to attend or speak publicly were either supported through the voice of family members or friends.

Sioux Campbell was at the inquiry in a volunteer capacity to speak about the impacts of those she has been aiding.

“I’ve been assisting residents as best I can with understanding insurance terminology,” she said.

Ms Campbell said through her conversations she had identified a common trend of mixed experiences of people not understanding what was in their statements as well as different experience in how residents were treated by their insurance companies.

“One of the indicators of disaster resilience in a community is its level of insurance, so how well are businesses and households are covered,” she said.

Originally published as ‘It can’t continue’: Residents recount the moments they lost everything in the 2023 Cyclone Jasper floods