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AAP
AAP
Keira Jenkins

Storm-hit residents clean up as region faces more rain

Mount Tamborine resident Al Fencaros is concerned about dangers posed by trees damaged in storms. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS)

Mt Tamborine resident Al Fencaros is no stranger to natural disaster.

His home was affected by the Black Saturday bushfires, which tore through the Yarra Valley in Victoria in 2009.

He moved to southeast Queensland three years ago and on Christmas night his home was once again in the firing line of mother nature.

Mr Fencaros said the damage to his home during southeast Queensland's recent wild weather "wasn't too bad".

A house  in Mount Tamborine damaged by a fallen tree.
Fallen trees have caused extensive damage to buildings in southeast Queensland. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS)

"It's got a few dings in the roof and the guttering, one of our water tanks, the lid that collapsed," he told AAP.

"There's trees down on the property which we'll cut up and we're taking out ... it's just a process of cleaning up, nothing other than a bit of work there."

The Bureau of Meteorology says severe thunderstorms with heavy rain are possible across inland Queensland, including the state's southeast.

Brisbane City Council warned higher than normal tides could cause flooding in bayside, riverside and low-lying areas of the city from Thursday.

Sand bags are available in Darra Morningside, Newmarket, Zillmere and Lota.

The southeast is still recovering after storms and flash flooding hit the region over the Christmas period.

The race is on to repair damage at schools across the state before students return on January 22.

The new Bellbird Park State School, southwest of Brisbane, has had to delay its opening because of storm damage.

The 168 students enrolled will start the year at the nearby Woogaroo Creek State School instead.

More than 130,000 people lost power during the storms. The last of these homes were reconnected on Sunday.

Mr Fencaros praised the efforts of Energex workers in his area.

"Power has been restored incredibly quickly, considering how much damage there was," he said.

"All the high voltage lines and all the low voltage lines, right up the mountain and all over the mountain were on the ground, there was just nothing left.

Pamella Wardell's in her yard at Mount Tamborine.
Pamella Wardell's car and home were damaged during storms at Mount Tamborine. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS)

"Within 10 days these amazing Energex workers have replaced everything, everyone has their power back on, how they did that is just beyond my imagination."

Now that power has been restored Energy Minister Mick De Brenni said the sector will turn to future-proofing infrastructure as extreme weather events become more commonplace.

"We've come to learn as Queenslanders, the frequency and scale of these sorts of natural disasters is only increasing," he said.

"It is not situation normal anymore, these are unprecedented times, unprecedented conditions."

Mr Fencaros said he was concerned about how damaged trees would be managed after the disaster.

"It's the trees, which are still standing that I see as being a very big risk to further damage to houses and people, infrastructure and stuff down the track," he said.

Power line repairs at Mount Tamborine.
Power has been fully restored after 130,000 customers lost connection at the height of the crisis. (Jono Searle/AAP PHOTOS)

"I know that it's a dilemma, no one likes to cut down trees ... but when trees have been damaged there has to be an understanding that they're never going to re-grow properly.

"They are going to continue to create risk so it needs to be a balanced and rational approach to damaged trees that are still standing."

Across the southeast, more than 92,000 people have received personal hardship assistance grants since the storms hit, amounting to about $16.4 million in state and federal funding.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Tuesday unveiled a $20 million disaster relief package for the region.

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