Reprieve, but more to come

HATS off to all of our emergency services who have copped an absolute bollocking in recent flooding, as they steel themselves for round two.

There was a short but welcome reprieve over the Easter long weekend from the torrential downpours that have saturated the region, meaning volunteers and staff had a break from the chaos to spend time with family.

With ex-Cyclone Iris looking like tracking towards the Queensland coast over the coming days, it is likely to be all hands on deck again.

Also spare a thought for our police and paramedics who were called in over the weekend to investigate two separate suspicious deaths – the alleged murder of an elderly Trinity Beach woman and a man’s sevenstorey plummet from a CBD hotel.

Our hearts go out to the families and friends who will never again hear the voices of those two people.

They are tragedies in every sense of the word, and one can only imagine their grief.

We should also acknowledge those men and women who are investigating the incidents, confronted with chilling scenes on days they should really have spent surrounded by their own families.

It is a truly tough gig, and we appreciate their commitment.

As wild weather returns to the Far North after a painfully brief remission, we can make our emergency services’ lives easier by ensuring we are properly prepared and do not risk our lives unnecessarily.

It is a tired old phrase but it still rings true – if it’s flooded, forget it. Chris Calcino chris.calcino@news.com.au