Affected residents in Townsville have started cleaning up, but the devastation left behind by the flood is only just being realised.
Sheila Juliano, a resident of Fairfields in Idalia in Townsville narrates the extent of the flooding in their area.
“We are one street away from the river. We saw the water rising very quickly. In 40 minutes, floodwater is already in the house,” she told SBS Filipino.
“Everyone in the street evacuated except us because we have dogs and cats and all animals are inside the house. We got water up to above our knee. All our furniture is soaked. Everything that we’ve got was basically destroyed.”
She and her family are currently staying at their friend’s place where they have electricity and basic necessities.
Insurance claims
Realising the extent of damage of the disaster, Deputy Premiere Jackie Trad urged banks and insurers to be ‘good corporate citizens.’
“How many more natural disasters? How many more Queenslanders are going to be left without home and contents, having to rebuild their lives without the assistance of insurance companies. They all need to lift their socks and start treating customers appropriately,” said Ms Trad.
Ms Juliano and her family have received financial assistance from the government but according to her, the cost of rebuilding would require a much bigger amount because not all of the contents of their home was covered by the insurance.
‘We’re isolated’
Last week, Mt Isa was subjected to severe rains and floods where hundreds of thousands of cattle and animals died from drowning.
Mt Isa Filipino Australian Association Inc president Edna Anderson says that residents in Mt Isa are facing further challenges even after the flooding has subsided.
“We’re isolated. There’s no truck or [any type of vehicle] that can pass. Panic buyers have left the supermarket shelves empty,“ she said.
Mt Isa is home to 600 Filipinos, mostly working in mines and hospitals. And according to Ms Anderson, their small community is doing their best to help out their fellow kababayans.
