“YOU can only fall down and graze your knees so many times before it does start to get you down a little bit. But to have them here today, it was inspirational for my parents, neighbours and my little girl.”

Clinton Ewins breathed a sigh of relief as he saw members of the defence force coming down his driveway on Wednesday morning, sandbags in tow.

A lot of his Tyntynder property was already...