Premium Content THE 2011 floods in Ipswich were not a first for Blair MP Shayne Neumann. As a boy living with his family in Trumper St, East Ipswich in 1974, he experienced the devastation inflicted on a city unprepared for such an environmental disaster. With his own house under more than two metres of water in 74, Mr Neumann s family fled to North Booval, only to be forced to evacuate a second time when the Bremer River rose there. He still remembers the vital contribution made by then-councillor Des Freeman and his wife Colleen in helping flood victims. The ability of the community to help its own is a theme that still resonates.
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THE damage bill for the destructive hailstorms that swept through Ipswich on October 31 has exceeded $300 million, with insurance companies receiving more than 26,000 claims.
Hail the size of cricket balls caused widespread damage to homes and vehicles across Rosewood, Thagoona, Willowbank, Springfield and Springfield Lakes.
At Springfield Lakes, hundreds of homeowners watched helplessly as roof tiles were cracked apart by massive hail, causing internal water damage and complete ceiling collapse in many homes.
Hundreds of families had no choice but to leave their homes and there are still many unable to return.
Mayor Teresa Harding said families were now relying on ongoing support from their community while insurance companies and tradespeople repair the damage.