Exhausted residents reeling from ordeal

happened at about 6am on Sunday.

“We were 90mm away from losing everything inside,” she said. “I’m exhausted ... I haven’t slept for 24 hours while this was all happening.”

Ms Shale, who owns the town’s Best Buy Carpets and Vinyl store and Natural Earth Crystals gift shop, said despite their best efforts before the streets flooded, residents were still reeling from the enormity of property lost. “We had one flood warning from a neighbour at 3pm on Friday ... we closed the shops, went home and started tying things down.

“But if you see our house, we’ve got nowhere to put things up high ... the flooding came, I lost everything outside and so did everyone else in the street.”

Ms Shale called for more help on the ground in the town’s hardest-hit areas. “We need help ... a lot of people are calling for (more) government assistance and we want council to help with the clean-up.”

Cassowary Coast Mayor John Kremastos said council staff had been dispatched across the region and had “been working tirelessly”.

He said there would be a hard rubbish clean-up today for flood-affected streets and council was providing free landfill dumping for residents.

“Council will provide kerbside flood debris collection for approved areas, expedited environmental health inspections for commercial and other premises (and will provide) awareness information for access to recovery organisations, for example, Red Cross.”

At Ingham, where about 90 per cent of properties have been impacted by flooding, the Department of Communities will set up an office. *Entries open at 9.00am on 5 March, 2018 and close 11.59pm 25 March, 2018. Australian residents only. Limited to one entry per eligible member. Winner determined on 26 March, 2018 at 11.00am at Mastercard Loyalty Solutions, 34 James Craig Rd, Rozelle, NSW 2039. Winners name to be published on the +Rewards website. Total prize pool valued at $800. Full terms and conditions available at plusrewards.com.au. NSW Permit No. LTPM/18/02774.